


Prove Me Wrong

by faymarie



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Eventual mpreg, F/M, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Freddie Mercury Lives, Implied Mpreg, Implied Sexual Content, Inspired by Fanfiction, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mpreg, Slice of Life, Suicide Attempt, pregnant Roger, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-01-04 16:14:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 50,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18347165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faymarie/pseuds/faymarie
Summary: Seventeen years later after the birth of Roger and Brian's first child, Melody, the Queen family deals with issues concerning parenthood.This is Melody's story inspired by Give Love (That One Last Chance) by BlueSelenitas.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Give Love (That One More Chance)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17392124) by [BlueSelenitas (lillylua)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillylua/pseuds/BlueSelenitas). 



> This was truly inspired by the fic Give Love (That One Last Chance) by BlueSelenitas. I felt a connection to Melody and her story just came to me and wouldn't leave me alone. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the ride.

Melody Rose Taylor-May blended in well at high school. Her wavy blonde hair and green-blue eyes were a stunning reminder to her family of who her papa was. However, to everyone else she was just another teenager going through mandatory education. She was normal for the most part lingering between classes and counting down the hours until she could go home. 

Except for the part where her parents couldn't make an appearance to any of her school functions. Melody was a very bright girl, curtousy of her astrophysicist father. In music class, she always had the highest grade without trying. However, it seemed discouraging when her own parents were absent at concerts or science fairs because they belonged to a very famous band (and family), Queen. 

It was as Friday afternoon, and her last class of her senior year was show choir. They were in the last half of the school year, meaning finals were going to be a huge deal. Melody sat attentively in her seat, listening to their assignment that would make or break their final grade. The class was to gather into pairs and create an original song together. That meant thier own lyrics, notes, ectera, and they were to perform it the last week of school. They had months to practice and rehearse. The final would also be done infront of the entire auditorium of the school. Their teacher, Ms. Beverly, an older woman with gray hair and multiple ear peircings started calling out the assinged pairs. 

"Melody Taylor-May and Tyler Joseph," Ms. Beverly read down the list. Tyler. Melody had heard his name before but couldn't match a face to him. The only thing she remembered was he was absent for a week or two at the beginning of the year.  
When the students started arranging themselves with their partners, Melody put her hand up and waved. 

"Melody!" she spoke loudly. A boy with a gray hoodie and short brown hair looked in her direction. He had a lost look on his face. Melody kept waving and realization dawned on him that he was her partner. Tyler quietly took his seat next to her, feeling a little bit awkward. Melody couldn't help but think he wasn't bad looking either. His dark hair suited his skin tone while his brown eyes were handsome and held an undertone she couldn't quite place. She wasn't in this situation to date though, she was there to get a passing grade and graduate. 

"Errr, you must be Melody, I'm Tyler," he introduced himself. His voice was unsure yet clear. 

"I think I've seen you around school," Melody replied, not knowing what else to say. 

"And you hang around the Mercury-Deacon twins?" Tyler asked. His heart was pounding as he wondered if he over stepped some rediculous bondary. 

"Leo and Leona? Yea, I see them a lot outside school. We are....cousins," Melody said as she tried to find the right word to explain her relationship with the twins. Leo and Leona both had light auburn hair and warm brown eyes. It was a huge difference from their younger sister, Quinn, who had black hair and stunning green eyes. Their personalities were even opposite of one another. Leo and Leona used to have matching hair styles that resembled thier dad's in his early twenties. However, Leo had decided to cut his and styled it in long waves on top of his head. Leona had kept the style through the years, with straight blunt bangs on her forehead that suited her facial structure. For her fifteenth birthday, her parents had caved in and allowed her to get a septum peircing. It was a suggestion from Quinn, who had inherited her papa's fashion sense. Leona had seen herself as boring, but surprisingly gave her sister's suggestion some thought. The piercing amazingly made her look older and unique. 

"So any ideas of what type of song we should do?" Tyler asked, deciding to use thier time wisely to brain storm. 

"I was actually thinking we both try to come up with something and decide which one is stronger," Melody suggested. "I can play the piano all day, but I could never put pen to paper that well for a song." 

"You're name is Melody, and you can't write a song?" Tyler quipped with an adorable smirk. Melody was taken aback from the comment and couldn't figure out if she felt butterflies or bubbling anger inside her stomach. Melody didn't respond right away and it made the other boy feel terrible. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-," Tyler's face fell and apologized. 

"No, I just...I never thought of it that way," Melody laughed and allowed the rest of her body to relax. Tyler found it as a good sign and gave her a small smile. 

"Are you busy after class? We can go to the library and brainstorm some more if you like," Tyler added as he noted the time. 

"Errr...no, I'm not," Melody responded, suddenly feeling nervous. "I just have to be home by seven. You know...curfew," she rambled. Her parent's had given her some freedom after school to socialise. They trusted she was a good kid. She had always been quiet growing up and kept out of trouble for the most part. Her father had even gone as far as to buy her a car for her birthday the previous year. It wasn't anything too expensive being it was her first car and she asked to not stand out at school. Growing up with the type of wealth her parent's had made her more than greatful, but she didn't feel the need to rub it in other's faces. 

Melody had always been a pleasant, grounded person. She was alway told she looked like a female version of her papa except her hair fell long passed her shoulders in gentle waves. She got her personality and hieght from her father. The girl was over five and a half feet already in her sophomore year of high school. She was now just a few short inches from six feet. 

The bell rang, jolting both of them out of thier thoughts. 

"Library?" Tyler smiled. 

"Err...yea."  
.....  
"You'll be home before eight, right?" Brian's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. 

"Yea, it's our final project in show choir. My partner wanted to brainstorm for a bit and get a head start," Melody explained. 

"Do you have enough money for food?" 

"I'll just eat left overs." 

Melody coiled the cord around her fingers and let it spring free. 

"Okay, just drive safe," Brian reminded her. "And what's your partners name? Freddie wants to know." 

Melody rolled her eyes and smiled. "His name is Tyler." 

"His name is Tyler," Brian repeated. 

"Oh dear, Melody is partnered with a boy?" she heard Freddie say out loud dramatically. 

"What about boys?!" she heard her papa react. "Bri, hand me the phone!" Melody inwardly groaned but smiled. "Melody?" Roger's voice came from the reciever. 

"Yes?" she asked almost sarcastically but her voice held a joking tone. 

"Don't let him have a reason for me to come up there," Roger warned and she could hear Freddie cackling in the background. 

"We are writing a song, nothing more or less," Melody tried to reassure him. 

"Melody..." 

"I have to go, he's waiting on me," she rushed the call to an end. After her parents and Freddie got done giving very dramatically saying thier "I love yous", she finally hung up and joined Tyler at a table in the back of the library. He already had his notebook open and a few pencils sitting on the table. He was fidgeting with something on his wrist. 

"Sorry about that, I had to let my parents know I might be late," Melody apalogized as she sat down across from him. 

"Oh no, it's fine," Tyler said, letting his hands fall into his lap. "So, let's start with what type of song we want to do." 

"Anything but a love song, I suppose," Melody suggested. 

"And why's that?" Tyler asked, curious. 

"Everyone else is more than likely doing one, and...it's not for me," Melody admitted. "Love is not for me." She raised her eyebrows as Tyler wrote something down on his paper. 

"Well, that might be a start," Tyler said. "Not exaclty a love song, but a song of why you think someone might not love you. A song with a touch of our teenage angst." Melody paused for a moment, unsure of what to say next. Knowing she was a daugher of two members of one of the world's largest well known band, she would have thought stuff like this would come easy for her. 

"Sorry, song writing was never my thing," she reiterated, feeling ashamed and small. She was suddenly self conscious in Tyler's presence. What if he thought she was a crappy partner? 

"Lucky for you, I've wrote some of my own. It's like writing poetry," Tyler admitted. He picked up one of his pencils and started twirliing it around in his fingers. Melody's face lit up. 

"You would have to show me one day," she said, "only if you want to though." Tyler chuckled. 

"I don't know if you want to, it might not exactly be your taste," he told her. "You would think it would be nice to be inside someone else's mind for a day, but you'd be surprised." 

Melody's face fell as she surpressed her thoughts. Things weren't always easy for her and she didn't quite know how to vocalize it. Not long after she turned seventeen, she started having sudden episodes of dread. It was like her body went into fight or flight mode, but there was no fight or something to flee from. She would just sit in class with her heart pounding for no particular reason like there was some type of animal watching her from the corner of the room. People who were around her daily would say she would pace more than usual and she would act like she didn't comprehend a simple sentence spoken towards her. She would need clarification. She acted like she was distracted when she wasn't actively doing anything. 

"That's...very true actually," Melody finally said. Her eyes met Tyler's and for a moment she could have sworn she saw a sense of knowing. Then, she remembered why they were sitting in the library in the first place. 

"So you mentioned you play piano?" Tyler asked, looking intrigued. 

"Err...yea. I can play a few things actually. I might not look like it but I know how to play drums too," Melody said, feeling self conscious yet again. 

"Well that's good to know because I was thinking about it being a piano piece," Tyler added. "Maybe we can split up the work and I write the lyrics and you compose the music?"

"We can do that," Melody agreed, feeling relief they were getting somewhere. "I might need the lyrics first but I don't mind putting my input here and there." She watched as Tyler wrote down some notes. They spent about an hour together and by the end of it they had at least a small part of it they could agree on. 

"Some people they know everything," Tyler read out loud from his paper. His eyes looked up to meet Melody's. "What do you think?" The song was coming along almost smoothly, piece by piece. It still needed work though and was no where near perfection. 

"But...but they don't know my heart?" Melody suggested, earning a smile from her partner as he wrote it down. She looked at the clock and realised it was after six already. "Tyler, I'll have to get going in a minute. Maybe we can pick back up Monday?" Tyler paused, thoughtfully.

"Mondays I'm actually busy after school, but we can try Tuesday," he suggested, putting his papers away. 

"Tuesday then," Melody stated, standing up. Part of her didn't want to leave just yet. 

"Do you drive?" Tyler asked out of the blue. 

"Umm...yea, I have a car. Do you need a ride home?" Melody offered. She had gotten her car at the end of last school year. It was her reward for being the "good child" it felt like and her parents felt like she was responsible enough. It wasn't anything fancy. 

"No, I take the bus," Tyler said. "I was just making sure you had a safe way back is all." Melody felt her cheeks grow warm. 

"Well thanks," she said. "I'll see you in class Monday." 

"Yea," Tyler agreed. 

They parted ways and Melody felt like the drive home was longer than it really was. Any attraction to Tyler, she immediately denied. She had dated before but the relationships had been short lived, because it was high school. Melody had never felt a connection, but something about Tyler stood out. 

They had just met though so she felt like any personal questions would scare him away and make working on the project even more awkward than it was. If the final product wasn't something she could be proud of, she might as well fail the exam. 

When she pulled up in the driveway, she saw someone peer out the kitchen window. She recognized them easily as Quinn. It wasn't unusual for her uncles and cousins to spend weekends with them. They had spent a lot of time together since she could remember. When the twins were born, she took the roll of an older sister. Then her brother, Romeo came along and it was an entirely different ball game. She was greatful her parents never held her responsible for any of his actions because she wasn't a replacement for a babysitter. It wouldn't have been fair. Leo and Leona were stuck to her like glue in the early years, specifically Leo. 

Quinn soon came running down the drive way to greet Melody and soon enough, Melody was tackeled so hard she almost fell against the hood of her car. 

"Where's everyone else?" Melody asked when she could finally breath. 

"In the back yard," Quinn informed her, stepping away from her favorite cousin. Quinn was just shy of the age of fourteen, almost the same age as Romeo. The twins were now both sixteen. "They won't shut up about you hanging around Tyler." 

Melody rolled her eyes before she was grabbed by the hand and pulled inside the house. The smell of food immediately greeted her and she stepped to the kitchen to grab some salad and a water before Quinn forced her back into the outdoors. The adults were seated on lawn furniture, while the other three kids of Queen played in the pool. Romeo being in the middle of diving in off the new very tall diving board. Every time he did that, Roger's heart would stop beating. 

"He's going to give me a heart attack one day," Roger mumbled besides Brian, who was reading. "I can already feel the chest pains." 

"You let him convince you to buy the damn thing," Freddie quipped from beside them. Then his eyes spotted Melody and Quinn and his face lit up. "Come sit down darlings, we want to hear about this Tyler boy." Roger glared at Freddie, but Melody planted herself between them anyways. 

"He asked me if I drive," Melody said, diggging into her salad.  
"But I didn't take him home, he just wanted to make sure I had a safe way back." She heard Freddie gush beside her. 

"And I'm guessing you'll have to spend more time with him?" Roger asked, frowning. 

"That's usually how projects work. You spend time with each other to get it done," Melody quipped, waiting for her papa's reaction. Brian chuckled into his reading and Freddie nearly spat his drink out. 

"I'll call your teacher if I have to," Roger warned, pinching Melody's arm softly. 

"It'll be fine," Melody reassured him, flinching when Romeo dived in the pool again and shielded her food from the water droplets.  
Roger had a right to feel a little uneasy, but he knew his Melody. She was a good judge of character. She had grown up so quickly. With thier life centered around touring, their kids usually got homeschooled on the road. However, it was a mutual decision to take a short break so Melody and the twins could at least have the experience of finishing high school. Queen had made more than enough money through the years to earn a brief hiatus. Roger definetely didn't want to think about what it would be like when his girl went off to college and lived away from them. The thought of it made his heart clench. 

"Really dear, a salad?" Freddie fussed, bringing Roger out of his thoughts. 

"I wasn't very hungry," Melody tried to justify as she stabbed her fork into her bowl. 

"It's not really a salad with two pounds of cheese," Quinn remarked. Melody glared at the younger girl who was now changed into her swimsuit. "You don't eat. That Tyler guy has nothing to hold onto." 

"Quinn's right darling," Freddie agreed souly to annoy Roger. Melody was now glaring daggers at her cousin and Roger looked like his blood pressure had extremely elevated. 

"You two can stop now," Brian cut in, setting his reading glasses in his lap. "Leave Melody alone." Melody sighed in relief. She set her bowl down when she finished and heard Quinn huff from behind them. 

"Anyways," Quinn continued, "Leona found a frog earlier, you should come see it." Melody continued to look at her as though she was stupid. It took Roger all he had not to laugh, because he had a feeling of what was coming next. "Come on," Quinn dragged her relunctant cousin out of her seat by the hand. "I think it's still by the edge of the pool." 

Moments after, John had come back from his bathroom break and placed himself next to Freddie. 

"What did I miss?" John asked, clueless to what was going to happen next. Roger smirked when they all heard Melody squeal and fall in the pool fully clothed. 

"Nothing," Roger said, cheekily. "You came back just in time."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody and Tyler's friendship builds. Melody starts making some questionable choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, this story will get a bit darker in the middle. I'll post content warnings when needed. There's mentions of suicide attempts in this chapter but nothing major happens.

Roger came in that night greeted by the site of Melody laying down on the couch, fast asleep. Quinn had already curled herself in the arm chair and was just as dead to the world with a cat in her lap. It was quiet moments like these that Roger enjoyed the most. He hadn't had the honor of tucking Melody in since she was in grade school. It was the perfect moment to sneak it in once again and pulled a quilt out from the closet. He laid it over her slender body, making sure to smooth down the fabric. 

"They are only well behaved when they sleep," Brian's gentle voice, followed by his hands on his husband's shoulder came from behind Roger. 

"She shuts herself away so much in her room, I'm surprised she came outside with us today," Roger answered, worried. Melody had always been a quiet child, but it wasn't until the current school year she really started secluding herself. Most afternoons she was absent and could be found in her room with homework or a book. She ate what she could of dinner and then they didn't see her until the next morning. 

"High school is rough, Roger," Brian comforted him. "I wish spring break would hurry up. I miss her too." 

"I just hope she knows she can come to us," Roger whispered, his eyes focused on his daughter's sleeping form. 

"She knows." 

"When was the last time you had a real conversation with her?" 

Brian frowned. Melody had always talked to them about school and her social life. Now that he thought about it, he realized she hadn't said anything in quite a while.   
"She's just busy with school work," Brian continued. Their girl had never had a problem keeping good grades at school. Her brother, Romeo, on the other hand was just as smart. However, he was either in a fight every two weeks or getting in trouble for lacking common sense. Lately Romeo had been on his best behavior. It had been hard, but the school was on the last straw with him and one more fight and they would expel him. That would mean he would be put in alternative school or would have to suffer being homeschooled yet again by his parents. Roger and Brian both adored him, but he was the one who really pushed their limits. Brian kissed the back of his husband's hair. "It's late, let's go to bed. Kids always wake up super early on the weekends." 

Roger reluctantly left Melody's side and climbed the stairs with Brian following behind him. Freddie, John, and the twins had already retired for the night . Roger was surprisingly exhausted. He changed clothes and was more than happy to curl into Brian's side. His head resting against the taller man's neck.   
....  
The next day was quiet for Melody. As Roger predicted, she retreated to her room while the other's were outside. She had woken up with the familiar tingle of anxiety, and found safety in the comfort of her bed. Her attention span couldn't last long enough to watch and enjoy television, so she resorted to reading a book. She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew Quinn was bursting into her room. Her dark hair still clung wet to her face from swimming. 

"Melody!" Quinn sang. Melody's eyes snapped open and she groaned. "Melody, I know what we should do today!"

Melody turned over so her back faced the older girl. "Whatever it is, no," Melody groaned. She felt the bed sink in from Quinn's weight and automatically knew she wasn't going to leave her alone until she did what she wanted. 

"I've been thinking since last night," Quinn began. The older girl already knew the next thing out of her mouth was going to be a bad idea. "You should get a belly button piercing!"  
Melody lifted her head from the pillows and looked at her like she had grown two heads.

"A what?"

"You'll tall and slim enough, I think a belly button piercing would be the perfect aesthetic for you," Quinn continued, now bouncing on the bed to make sure it was impossible for her cousin to rest. 

"And where am I going to get one? Leona had to have her parents sign a paper giving their permission to get her septum pierced. And I don't believe ours would be so lenient on the idea of me getting a piercing in that area," Melody argued. 

"Who said they have to know?" Quinn grinned mischievously. 

"Quinn, who's going to do it?" Melody asked. Her head was beginning to pound from the stupidity of the idea. 

"Me, of course." 

"Oh hell no!" 

"Melody!"

Quinn's dream was to be a cosmetologist. That was fine and all, but Melody wasn't allowing her anywhere near with a needle. Quinn fished some stuff out of her pockets and threw them on the bed. When Melody finally sat up, she saw a needle, a lighter, and a barbell with a shining stone in it. 

"How do you plan on doing this?" Melody asked again, skeptically. 

"My classmate's mom is a professional piercer," Quinn bragged. "I've watched her do it." Melody raised her eyebrow. "Just trust me, please. No one will ever know, and I'll have practice." Melody didn't know what convinced her. Maybe a part of her brain wasn't working that day or maybe she would have done anything just for Quinn to leave her alone.

"Okay," Melody agreed quietly and Quinn squealed with excitement. "But if I get an infection, you're going down with me." 

Ten minutes later, Melody was laying flat on her back contemplating her life decisions. Quinn had ran the needle through the lighter flame claiming it "sanitized" it. No matter what, Melody wasn't reassured. She had already agreed to it and it seemed too late to back out. She tried to comfort herself in telling herself she was old enough to make this decision. Guilt still crept up on her though because she knew her parents wouldn't agree at first. In this situation, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. 

"I'm going to tell you to hold your breath, and then when I push the needle in I'll tell you to release it," Quinn instructed. Melody could feel her cousin's cold fingers pinch the skin on her navel. It couldn't be so bad, right? She could tell Quinn was just as nervous as she was. One wrong move and there would be a trip to the emergency room and a long fabricated story to tell. Melody would probably lose her car privileges. The bright side is she didn't mind taking the train. At least she would see Tyler. Melody tensed at the thought of him. Her mind didn't need to go there, especially at this moment. "Relax, it'll be quick," Quinn's voice brought her back to reality. 

"Okay, let's do this before someone calls us down for dinner," Melody rushed the other girl. Quinn took a moment to compose herself. 

"Umm...okay. Go ahead and hold your breath," Quinn said softly. Her voice quivered a little from either excitement or nervousness. Melody sucked in a deep breath. "One, two," Quinn counted and Melody swore her body decided at that moment to produce a cold sweat. "Three. Breathe out!" Melody felt a mix of pressure and a dull pinch as the needle went through her skin. Quinn worked the barbell through and paled when she realized her fingers had a light coating of blood. "Oh shit, Melody," she cursed. 

"Quinn! Melody!" Roger's voice came from down the hall. The two girls gasped and Quinn nearly tripped as she ran to the bathroom. Melody turned over on her side, clutching her navel just in time for her papa to come in the room. "Hey, dinner is ready," Roger greeted her. He frowned when he saw Melody appearing to be in pain. 

"I'll be down later, I have god awful cramps right now," Melody lied, hoping her voice was convincing enough. "Quinn is in the bathroom. I'll let her know." 

"Let us know if you need anything," Roger said softly. Melody melted at the tone of her papa's voice. He didn't ask any further questions, and left the room. Melody released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Luckily her sheets didn't get any blood on them when she removed her hands from her stomach. Her hands however, did.   
Quinn emerged from the bathroom trying not to laugh. Melody was still in a bit of shock at what she just allowed to happen. She felt awful for lying, but if she didn't like the piercing she could take it out later. No one else would have to know. 

It took a while for her navel to stop bleeding and Melody made sure to wear a loose fitting shirt. The pain was annoying but it wasn't necessarily bad. She came downstairs to take a pain reliever, covering her lie about period cramps. Roger and Brian missed the looks of relief exchanged between Melody and Quinn.   
....  
Tuesday afternoon came quickly and Melody met Tyler in the library again as planned. Something about her jeans had been irritating her piercing and the site had inflamed throughout the day. What was worse is she didn't have access to any pain relievers this time. She took breaks in between classes to clean it to make sure to prevent infection. However, the relief only lasted temporarily. 

Thirty minutes into the meeting, Tyler knew something was off. Melody seemed more uncomfortable than usual. 

"I don't want to pry, but you keep holding your stomach. Are you okay?" Tyler finally asked. Melody froze, knowing her excuse of cramps couldn't last her forever. 

"Only if you promise not to tell," Melody said in a low voice. She had no idea why she was confiding in him. 

"Who am I going to tell?" He asked. He had made a point. What was the chance he would go out of his way to tell her parents about something so petty?

"Fine," Melody breathed. "I got a belly button piercing, and it was doing fine until my jeans started irritating it." Tyler raised his eyebrow, making Melody once again blush for no apparent reason. 

"It's not infected is it?" 

"I hope not." 

"Can I see it?" 

Melody inwardly face palmed. She had met this boy three days ago, and she was already showing him her bare skin. She really had no idea what she was doing with her life. Tyler stood up and walked next to her to investigate. She pulled up her shirt and felt her face go unbelievable warm. 

"It looks irritated," Tyler observed. "Maybe wash it with some salt water or unscented soap? My sister had one when she was your age." Melody pulled her shirt down before anyone else walked over. 

"I'll try that," Melody said, refusing to make eye contact with him. Then a thought hit her. "You know, I just told you a secret so it's your turn. Where do you go every Monday? You said it was one of the days we couldn't work together." She had no idea where the sudden boldness came from but something inside of her was wanting to know more about her partner. 

"I go to group therapy," Tyler said, shifting to his other foot. His gaze fell on the floor and it made Melody feel guilty. 

"Oh," Melody replied. "Well, good luck." She smiled and refrained from further questioning. She didn't want to push boundaries. Whatever the reason was, it was none of her business. 

"Yea, it's a long story," he said, taking the seat next to her. He tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling like he was pondering something. "You know, we still have months to finish this. We shouldn't wear ourselves out just yet. How do you feel about some fresh air?"

Melody thought for a moment. Getting out of the stuffy library seemed nice. She nodded her head. 

"Sure," she found herself admitting. "You know, I think we might be becoming friends." She smiled shyly. Tyler smirked. 

"If that's what you want to call it Taylor-May," he remarked quite bluntly. Melody had no idea what he meant by that, she just wanted to go. He repositioned himself and wrote something down and gave the paper to her. "I think we should exchange numbers in case something happens and we can't work a certain day."

"Oh yea, I didn't think about that," Melody said, writing down her own number. She refused to think about her papa's reaction to him calling her house asking for her. Roger was fiercely protective for all the right reasons. Melody was his first child and he knew from a young age she would gather attention from others. She was in fact a Taylor.   
A little while later, Melody found herself sitting on a bench with Tyler. They had discussed different things that didn't include their project. The next thing she knew, the boy was fishing out something from his pocket. For all she knew he could have murdered her right then and there. However, he only revealed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. 

"What the shit?" Melody cursed, eyeing the cigarettes. 

"Don't freak out, I turned eighteen a month ago. I'm legal," Tyler said as he unapologetically lit one up and inhaled. "Do you want one?" 

"Really Tyler?" 

"I won't tell." 

Melody found herself holding a cigarette for the first time in her life. Her mind went through a million excuses to say why she smelled like cigarette smoke. Tyler flicked his lighter. 

"Hold it between you lips and inhale," he instructed her. She did as she was told, leaning a little too close to his chest. She was relieved she had pulled her hair back in a braid that day or else she would have singed her ends. As soon as she inhaled, her throat burned and she coughed. "First time?" Tyler asked cheekily. Melody glared at him. It wasn't all that bad, in fact the boy smoked menthols of all things. 

"I'm gonna die and it'll be your fault," Melody scowled, holding the cigarette as far away as possible. 

"You need to relax," Tyler stated, again being blunt. Maybe he was right about that. A few moments later she found herself easing into it. Her head felt a little bit dizzy. Maybe he spiked them. 

"Do you think about that?" Melody asked, exhaling. 

"About what?" Tyler asked. 

"Dying," Melody repeated. The topic seemed so dark, yet conversations with him had flowed so naturally so far. "I mean, I don't want to, but I just think about it. If that makes sense." 

Tyler looked at her pensively. "I think everyone does at some point," he answered. There was a silence between them as they sat and finished smoking. Melody was still blown away at what she had been doing lately. First the piercing with Quinn and then smoking. She was turning into a version of Romeo. 

"Is that why you go to therapy?" Melody broke the silence. He didn't owe her a direct answer, but they had been pretty open with each other so far. 

"I don't want you to feel sorry for me," Tyler said, frowning. God damnit, Melody. 

"Sorry, you don't have to tell-" 

"I attempted suicide." 

"Oh shit," Melody cursed, shocked. 

"Yea, it's pretty complicated," Tyler answered, again fidgeting with something on his wrist. Upon closer inspection, Melody saw it was a rubber band. She decided to shut up after that. 

"I don't know, I just feel alone sometimes in a room full of people," Melody admitted. She started playing with a lose string on her shirt. "I have no idea why I'm telling you this by the way." 

"It's fine. We're friends," Tyler winked, causing her to smile. 

"You're a friend who's trying to kill me with cigarettes," she laughed nervously. "But yea, friends." They sat in comfortable silence after that. She had drove them there from the school. When it was time to part ways, Tyler insisted he take the bus again. Melody sprayed herself down with perfume and made sure to wash her hands in the public restroom. 

When she returned home, no one appeared to be there. She passed Romeo sitting at the kitchen table eating a snack. He gave her a knowing look when she walked in and she rolled her eyes. She headed straight for a shower and changed her clothes making sure to do a load of laundry to hide any evidence of what she did. Everything was beginning to become more trouble than it was worth.   
...  
It turned out Tyler had therapy twice a week, and on their off days she went straight home. She would sit alone in her room and do homework. Nothing much had interested her anymore. In fact, she discovered during the months where there was little sunlight she felt odd. She wouldn't say depressed, but she definitely didn't feel like herself. She had no idea how to communicate what was going on when her parents glanced at her with worried looks. Freddie and John would try to get her to eat every chance they got. She shot down any attempts to just be around anyone. When her anxiety spiked, she would try anything to distract herself. 

She knew it was inevitable when Romeo barged into her room. She had a suspicion he knew she had smelled like smoke the other day and he was going to try to bargain for something he wanted. 

"Melody, can I borrow your car?" he asked, acting innocent. She raised her eyebrow. 

"And why in the hell would I do that?" she replied sharply. 

"Reasons." 

She glared at him. Romeo had just gotten his license not long ago, but driving wasn't ever discussed. He had been doing better lately though, she had to give him that. Melody pondered their parent's response to her allowing him to drive her car.

"What do you need it for?" Melody asked, finally. 

"I was invited to have coffee with some friends," Romeo answered, propping himself up in her doorway. She really wished he would drop the subject and leave. "And you and I both know Melody Rose, that you came home smelling like cigarettes the other day." He really needed to get out of her face.

"Fine," she caved in, throwing her keys at him. He caught them, looking pleased with himself. "But don't you dare come back with it smelling like cigarettes!" She got up and ran after him as he went downstairs. "And no food left in the back seat...and absolutely no sex!" Romeo cackled at that. 

"Thank you, Melody!" he called before the front door slammed shut. 

Melody retreated back to her room, too tired to really care. She somehow had fallen asleep and was woken up by a disturbance in the hallway. She glanced at the clock and it was passed seven in the evening. Someone was having a rather loud conversation on the phone and by the sound of it, it was her papa's explosive temper. She felt her stomach sink.   
Roger had the treat of having the phone ring not long after coming home. It was Romeo and he brought very bad news. He had been on his way home when some idiot ran a stop sign and hit the driver's side of the car. He was okay. He had a broken arm, but he was okay. The car though, was totaled. Roger knew he was going to have chest pains for the next week. What in the hell was he doing driving Melody's car anyways?

Melody emerged from her room, sleepy and confused. She was met by a very angry Roger. Something she spent her life avoiding even if his anger was rarely directed towards her. 

"You're brother took your car!" Roger all but shouted as he threw on his coat and got ready to head to the hospital. "I can't believe--." 

"He didn't take it," Melody said, her voice came out not loud enough to hear. 

"That little shithead, I'm going to strangle him! He's lucky all he got was a broken arm!" Roger ranted.

"Papa, he didn't take it," she tried to say again but he kept ranting. "Papa!" Melody yelled, startling Roger, but at least it got his attention. "I told him he could drive it. He said his friends invited him for coffee. I thought since he was doing so well he could take it for a short amount of time!" 

Roger facepalmed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Romeo was the soul reason he was taking blood pressure medicine. 

"Melody, what the-," Roger stammered, but waved his hand dismissively. "You should have known better!" he yelled. Melody felt her heart sink even further and if he wasn't so blinded by rage, he would have seen her hurt expression. He was right though. Roger ran down the stairs yelling for Brian to get ready. Out of all the commotion, no one heard Melody retreat back into her room and violently slam the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm open to suggestions on scenarios people may want to see. I'm feeling really proud of this work right now. Shout out to BlueSelenitas for giving me the green light to borrow the names/characters. I would recommend reading her work that inspired this story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody has a rough time and things come crashing down. Also some much needed fluff in this chapter. 
> 
> CW: minor sexual assault (Melody gets felt up her skirt) and anxiety attacks

Melody didn't really have a choice but to buy bus passes to get to school. Her parents were busy fussing over Romeo and making calls to the insurance company. Roger had in mind to apologize to Melody that morning before she left for school. He hadn't meant to yell at her. He was just caught in the moment with all the information coming at him at once. However, the girl had already left for school without saying a word and he just prayed she had a safe way there. The car accident hadn't been Romeo's fault at all, but the fact he was still injured rattled his parent's nerves. Brian was kind enough to allow him to stay home from school that day. Romeo was shaken up, but he didn't seem to be in pain. If Brian knew his kids, he knew it took a lot for them to complain about something. Brian also knew it wasn't like Melody to leave the house without saying a word. He brushed it off as frustration from being yelled at the previous night. 

Melody's day didn't seem to be improving at all. She had failed a quiz in once class and another bogged them down with homework for that night. She also had a reading assignment she thought was pointless. Of all the days she decided to wear a dress, she could feel uncomfortable stares just walking down the hallway. Quinn always gushed about how long her legs were, but at times they did make her feel self conscious. She was one of the tallest girls in her grade. Melody understood she had the body of a woman at this age, but she couldn't shake the creepy feeling she got from guys just staring at her. She passed one group, trying not to think too much about it. It was the last period of the day and part of her was looking forward to meeting Tyler. 

"Melody, you look nice today," one of the guys said. 

"Thanks," she said avoiding eye contact and not hesitating to keep walking. What she did not expect, was a hand to reach under her clothing and touch her thigh. Her body froze at the touch, anger and shame running through her. "What the fuck is wrong with you!" She turned around and yelled. The group of guys jumped back in surprise. The one who had touched her was a little speechless. 

"I said you looked nice." 

"You can't just touch someone how you fucking please!" Melody shrieked, now gaining the attention of other students. Honestly if it weren't for the books she was holding, she would have punched the boy right in the face. She felt a firm grip on her arm pull her away before she could throw her things on the floor and give him a black eye. It was Leo.

"Come on, you're okay," he soothed her, walking with a hand on her back. Melody felt tears sting her eyes. 

"I can't go to class, not like this," she told him. Leo gave a sympathetic look, one she saw John give many times. They went outside and sat on the benches. Melody hoped they wouldn't get caught skipping class because she didn't feel like explaining the situation. 

"Some people are just creeps," Leo said, putting his arm around her. 

"I shouldn't have worn this stupid dress." 

"Don't you dare blame yourself." 

"I want to go home, but I want to come over to your house," Melody said, almost pleading. She was completely done for the day. Leo didn't object to it, but he couldn't leave Leona at school with no explanation. They waited it out, hiding where teachers didn't look. Leo allowed Melody to rest her head against his arm as he read a book.   
Leona was mad when she heard about what happened but she made a promise not to mention it to anyone else. Leo drove them home, allowing Melody to take the front seat. She stared blankly out the window. She was tired of people giving her attention for her looks. She had inherited the soft looks for Roger of course. Her blond hair made her feel like she was some type of stereotype. Guys seemed to love a pretty blond haired and blue eyed girl. It was all bullshit. 

John was more surprised when the twins came home with Melody following behind them. Freddie had held a type of open door policy where his friend's children could come over any time they needed. By the puffy eyed look Melody had, if Freddie had seen her he would make it his personal job to mother her. She had a familiar look about her, one he had seen on Brian before when he was mentally exhausted. Melody made her way to an arm chair with a cat curled up asleep on top and made herself comfortable. 

"Do your parents know you are here?" John asked her. 

"No. I'll call them in a little while," Melody responded, her attention focused on the television. "Is Freddie here?" 

"He's working on some songs, dear," John answered, knowing his husband could be quite the perfectionist. "You look like you had a long day." Melody shrugged, allowing the conversation to drop. Dealing with teenagers, John knew better than to press certain topics. They were all in their shoes at one point. 

Melody got up and shut herself away in Quinn's bathroom. The other girl was away at a dance class or something. Melody looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had light blonde hair her whole life. It was even lighter when she was little, darkening a little as she grew older. Her eyes wondered to the cabinets and she saw a box of Quinn's hair dye. Melody thought maybe a change would make her feel better. If she had darker hair she would look more intimidating and not like a blonde model. The color was completely black though, which meant her hair would be more vibrant going from light to dark. She grabbed the box, making a silent promise to Quinn to replace it. Quinn's hair was naturally dark, but the hair dye enhanced it. Freshly dyed it had almost a blue tint to it. It really suited her. Melody opened the box and read the instructions.   
....  
Roger had gotten a phone call from a very concerned John. Melody had came over looking like she had been through hell and back. It set off all the alarms Roger had, and the need to apologize increased. If something was bothering his Melody, he wanted to know or at least comfort her. They had always been extremely close. Something about the first born child was special and given the circumstances leading up to her birth, Melody meant the world to him. 

When Roger finally made it to John and Freddie's house, he was greeted by the twins. There was another kid over there with the blackest hair he had ever seen. He assumed they just had a friend over. 

"Where's Melody?" Roger asked Leona, as he searched the room. He heard Freddie almost spit his tea out trying not to laugh, but he ignored him. The black haired girl turned around...and it was Melody. Roger had to take a double take. 

"For the record, I had nothing to do with this," Freddie laughed. 

"Melody, what...honey, your hair!" Roger exclaimed, shocked. He crossed the room, Melody smiling back at him. He reached out and took a strand into his hand. The girl had always had gorgeous locks. Roger took pride in giving the trait down to her. It wasn't that the color was bad. It enhanced her eyes a whole lot, actually. He was just shocked. 

"I needed a change," Melody said, shyly. Roger sighed. Brian was going to have a fit. 

"I thought you were staying late tonight after school," Roger said, crossing his arms. Melody gasped. She had totally forgotten about Tyler. 

"I just didn't feel like it," she answered. "It's been a bad week." Roger felt the familiar pang in his heart. His instincts had been right all along. She was having a rough time. 

"I'll take you home. We can talk in the car," Roger continued. He had the urge to hug her, but wasn't sure if it was welcomed at the moment. Melody kissed Freddie and John on the cheek. Freddie whispered something in her ear and if Roger had to guess it was either "give them hell, darling" or "feel better." She waved to the twins and they left.   
The first half of the car ride was silent. Melody didn't dare mention what happened in the hallway at school. Roger would definitely burn the building down. He finally cleared his throat, ready to discuss the situation about the car. 

"You're not in trouble, Melody," Roger started. "I discussed it with your father, we can get you another car after a while."

"I'm fine taking the bus," Melody said. Roger knitted his eyebrows together. 

"You don't want another one?" He glanced at her. Melody shook her head. He didn't know if she was just being stubborn or she felt guilty about Romeo getting hurt. 

"I don't like driving anyways," Melody mumbled, resting her chin on her door.

"Honey, it wasn't your fault." Roger made a mental note to have a talk with Brian that night before bed. Melody wasn't acting like herself and it was eating him alive. "I made your favorite food tonight. We bought ice cream." He saw Melody's head pick up. He knew he could always bribe her with food. He was hoping he could soften her mood. 

Romeo busted out laughing when his sister made it through the door. Brian raised an eyebrow when he saw his daughter with black hair. Roger was almost afraid she would shy back into her room, but amazingly she took her seat at the table. Brian felt a little startled at how blue-green Melody's eyes appeared, but he had to admit he missed her old hair color. 

"You had a phone call," Brian broke the silence, gaining his daughter's attention. "Tyler was worried because you weren't there after school. Is everything okay?"

Melody felt really tempted to tell him about what happened, but the words wouldn't form themselves. "I forgot," she said. "It's been a bad week for me. I'll call him back later." She was relieved to see her father was pleased with her answer, because nothing else was brought up. Melody made it through dinner and gave Roger the pleasure of kissing the top of her head before she went upstairs. 

"We always said she looked like me all these years, but with the dark hair she's almost a female version of you," Roger spoke to Brian as they cleared the table. Romeo had retreated back to the living room to watch television. The evening was falling quiet. 

"I prefer her old color," Brian admitted. "It still looks nice. We did make two lovely children." Roger smirked. 

"Maybe we should try for a third," Roger suggested just to see the look on Brian's face. 

"I think you like trying for children more than raising them," Brian winked. The couple had felt complete with a boy and a girl, but honestly if Roger had given him eight kids he wouldn't have minded. Leo, Leona, and Quinn felt like their own in a way, so there wasn't much to complain about. With birth control advancing, Roger was able to be naughty all he wanted with Brian without worrying about another child. Right now, Roger was giving him a pouting look just like in the earlier years. 

"We can try tonight," Roger suggested, making Brian's face flush. It had been a rough week and the couple's sex life had suffered some when the kid's were younger. Since they were both in high school, they had gotten back to do it regularly. Tonight wouldn't be an exception. 

"Fine, but you're cuddling with me on the couch," Brian caved in, face still adorably blushed. "Romeo will just have to deal with it." 

"How about we convince him to go to bed early and then do it on the couch?"

"Roger!"   
....  
Melody felt her anxiety shoot up when she dialed Tyler's number. Luckily, it didn't take him long to answer.

"Hi Tyler, it's Melody," she greeted. 

"Melody," his voice came from over the phone. "You weren't in class today, I thought you had gotten sick. I was going to show you what I have so far lyrical wise." 

"Yea, I went home early," she said, feeling her voice betray her of how upset she was. Before she knew it, she recalled the event to Tyler with tears pouring down her cheek. She was shaken up and she had felt so guilty. She even went as far as to tell him what happened to her car and that she wouldn't be driving to school for quite a while. 

"He didn't have a right to touch you, Melody." 

"I know," she sniffled. She was laying on her back now, staring at the ceiling. 

"You should report him. Do you know his name?" Tyler asked from the other end. 

"Not really. I feel like they couldn't really do anything," she answered, rubbing her arm to try to sooth herself. Talking to Tyler actually felt really...good. 

"If it happens again, you should. Anyways, we should take a break tomorrow. You seem really stressed out." 

"Okay," Melody agreed, finding it hopeless to argue with him. "I need to go anyways, I'm tired." 

They said their goodbyes and Melody debated rather or not to go see her parents. What happened that day still bothered her, and rather Roger burned down the school was irrelevant at this point. She got up and made her way to her parent's room. They usually didn't ask questions if she was in need of a cuddle. The door was slightly open, so she took it as a sign she didn't need to knock. Something was weird though, because there was noises she couldn't place coming from the room. Her parents didn't have a tv in there either. 

She opened the door and instantly regretted it. Brian was on top of Roger kissing his neck and they were in an....embarrassing position. The room was poorly lit, hiding the majority of the lack of clothes in the situation. Roger's eyes immediately popped open when he saw the light from the hallway come into the room. 

"Melody?" he asked, face burning red. It took Brian a moment to realize what happened because at the moment he was enjoying himself as much as his partner had been. Brian completely froze. Lucky for him, he hadn't taken his boxer's off yet. 

"I'm going to go pour bleach in my eyes," Melody said, turning on her heel and shutting the door properly. The expression on her face had given away she was more than mildly disturbed. 

Brian looked down at his partner wanting to laugh. Both grown men were completely embarrassed. Roger batted his long eye lashes up at him and the incident was soon forgotten. Brian pulled Roger down further under him with a growl. Long story short, they didn't do a lot of sleeping that night.   
....  
It was happening again to Melody. She was in class trying to take notes, and her heart wouldn't stop pounding. She felt like she was either going to die or pass out. Either sounded nice at the moment because she would do anything to get out of the room. The feeling had very much came out of nowhere. Luckily it was their last period. Tyler was sitting next to her since they had become friends and he seemed oblivious to what was going on. 

Melody silently excused herself. Her hands were shaking so bad, when she got up she didn't realize her binder was close to the edge of the desk. She felt a harsh tug on her navel and a sharp pain. Her barbell had gotten caught somehow and pulled. She made an audible gasp, causing Tyler to give her a questionable look. She ignored him and exited the room. Melody collapsed against the wall, trying to catch her breath. The door opened and Tyler stepped out to sit next to her. 

"Why am I like this?" Melody groaned, trying not to cry. Tyler reached out and grabbed her shaking hand. She squeezed his back. 

"You just need to breath," Tyler soothed her. "Things are becoming too much for you." 

"There's literally nothing wrong though. I was fine until now," she whined, her eyes now shining with tears. 

"Wait here," Tyler said, standing up and going back into the classroom. He emerged with both of their bags. "I'm taking you home." He helped the other girl up and they walked out of the school. Tyler walked with his arm around her shoulder. They were close to the same height so it was quite easy. He secretly admitted the girl had grown on him and honestly she was more stunning with dark hair. He would never have the courage to tell her though. He really hoped she kept the color. 

The bus ride was silent except for Melody's occasional sniffles. Tyler kept his arm around her as she buried her face into his neck. The position gave her comfort and reminded her a lot of how her parents soothed each other. Affection was welcomed in their house hold and always would be. She was reluctant to leave his side when she reached her stop. 

"Call me if you need anything," Tyler told her before she gathered her things and left. She nodded. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tyler," she said before leaving. He nodded and she walked home with puffy eyes.

Roger happened to be home that day and was surprised when Melody made it through the door an hour before school let out. She looked distraught. 

"Oh, sweetheart," Roger greeted her, dropping what he was doing. He looked her over and noticed a small patch of dried blood on her shirt. He felt his anger bubble up, but pressed it down until he got to the bottom of it. If someone hurt her, he would pay good money to hire an assassin. He crossed the room, and cupped her face in his hands. His thumbs wiping away any fresh tears. Everything came to a head and Melody was crying openly. Roger felt his own eyes sting as he embraced her tightly. Her school belongings had already dropped to the floor. 

"Melody, what happened? There's blood on your shirt," Roger questioned, still holding on tight to her. She had finally calmed down after a good five minutes. Melody felt helpless, not being able to explain the events that lead up to her breaking. When she didn't answer, Roger pulled away enough to lift up her shirt over her belly button and he was confused to see the fresh piercing. "Melody, where did you get this?" 

"A friend did it," she answered, knowing the situation was about to get out of hand quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was argue. Roger put his face in his hands once more, a motion he had been doing quite a lot lately. "It got caught in something today," Melody tried to explain. "It's not that big of a deal." 

"Not that big of a deal? What if you got an infection from it? Do you know what type of diseases you can get from dirty needles?" Roger raised his voice. "We need to get this taken out!" Roger felt he had a right to freak out in this situation, given Brian had suffered hepatitis from a tainted needle years ago. 

"No," Melody mumbled. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"I'm not taking it out!" 

"Melody Rose Taylor-May!" 

"It's sore right now! And maybe I like it!" Melody argued. Roger opened his mouth to say something, but honestly he had never had to fight like this with her. The whole situation was unfamiliar to him. 

"Melody, you got get a piercing without us knowing and then you dye your hair!" Roger argued back. "It's going to take more damage if you want your natural color back! You were so much better as a blonde! None of this happened before you met that Tyler kid!" His anger got the better of him and what came out of his mouth was unfiltered. Melody just looked back at him like she had been slapped. 

"And this conversation wouldn't have happened if you would have minded your damn business. I came home because I had a panic attack," Melody answered heatedly. "I guess that doesn't matter now, does it?" She picked her school things up and went upstairs without another word. 

For the first time in his life, Roger Meddows Taylor-May was speechless.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody gets a bit of an intervention from the boys. 
> 
> There's so much fluff in this chapter, I was almost afraid it would be too much. I hope you enjoy.

Melody woke up from a restless sleep. She had a horrible dream Romeo and Roger died in an explosive fire. None of the dream had made sense, but it all had felt real. She must have been extremely stressed from school. Tyler had finally finished the lyrics and all that was left was to fine tune them. Melody was steady beating herself up on how to compose it on the piano. She had used the one in her parent's home studio, but no matter what she felt like none of it sounded right.

She still had a fair amount of guilt everytime she saw Romeo with his arm in a deep blue cast. He went around boasting how all the girls in his grade had already signed it. He was always the one who loved attention from the opposite gender. The kid had girls swooning over him since second grade. Rather Romeo knew it or not, Melody was beating herself to death over the fact he got hurt. 

Luckily, the weekend had came quickly and it was Saturday. The only thing that brought her out of her dark thoughts was the smell of breakfast coming from downstairs. It was still early in the morning and her guess was only one person was awake. Brian had always been the first person to get up. It was partially to blame on his chronic insomnia. Roger had finally convinced him to see the doctor about it, and he was prescribed sleeping pills for the nights he couldn't sleep. Brian had been stubborn about it at the beginning, claiming he was more thoughtful during the night hours. However, it started interfering with his family life and a few threats from Roger later, he finally went to the doctor.   
Melody's muffled footsteps didn't alert Brian that he was the only one awake. So when he heard someone grab a mug from the cupboard, he assumed it was his husband. He heard a sniffle and felt his heart clench, but when he turned around he saw Melody. He dark hair was tied in a pony tail that was messy from sleep. The poor girl looked miserable. 

"You're up early," Brian said, sleepiness in his own voice. He watched his daughter pour fresh coffee into a mug that also happened to be Roger's favorite. The girl made a habit of using her parent's coffee mugs. It was oddly comforting. 

"I had a bad dream," Melody told him. Her voice was partially hoarse from sleep and feeling distressed. She wiped at her eyes. She didn't feel like crying this early, but the lump in her throat was prominent. Her eyes were threatening to spill any moment. Brian immediately picked up on it. He knew what his kids were going to do before they did it. It was one of the so called super powers he had gotten since becoming a parent. Brian looked at her with kind, sympathetic eyes. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Brian asked, moving closer to her and watching her add her cream and sugar to her beverage. The poor girl froze and looked like she was in a war with herself. She didn't want anyone to worry about her. She had been causing enough trouble lately. Brian had the pleasure of learning all about her belly button piercing from an hour long rant from his husband. They were both at a loss of what to do. Her car had already been totaled, so that was one thing they couldn't take away. They were almost afraid to punish her, because her behavior had been so odd lately. They couldn't force her to talk to them either. 

"Something bad happened to papa and Romeo," Melody sniffled now, her voice threatening to break. "It all felt so real." Brian crossed the room and put his hand on her shoulder. Relief flooded him at her decision to talk to him. He still had his robe on and had the urge to take it off and drape it over her. When she was small and fell asleep on the couch, he made a habit of taking off his coat and covering her. It was his way of protecting her. At least he hoped it made her feel safe. 

"Melody, it was just a dream," Brian said softly like he had many times before. Along with Roger, they had always enjoyed comforting their kids after they had a nightmare. From the silly ones to the darker ones, they never objected to an early morning cuddle from their children. When Melody's tears betrayed her, Brian put his hand gently on top of her head and pulled her into a hug. One arm was placed around her head, and the other was place around the middle of her back. Melody always teased Roger that Brian gave the better hugs. 

"They got caught in a fire," Melody sobbed into his chest as she recalled the awful nightmare. "I felt so helpless. I couldn't do anything." 

"Oh love," Brian soothed her. He held onto her as long as she needed it and planted kisses into her hair. The phone rang, causing both of them to jump. Brian didn't move to answer it though. Whatever it was could wait. His thoughts did wonder if it was Tyler. Brian had his own curiosities about their relationship and if it really was just 'project partners'. Their Melody had grown up before their eyes and boyfriends were inevitable no matter what Roger said about it. "They are okay, Melody. They are both kings of sleeping late in the mornings, but they are here. Safe," he said rubbing circles on her back. 

Brian had, in fact, peeked in Romeo's room before coming down stairs and he had been tangled in the blankets snoring. Before that, Roger had given Brian a hard time getting out of bed because their limbs had been so tangled and his death grip on the blanket didn't help. The apple really didn't fall far from the tree in that department. They could have a bomb go off in the house across from them and they would still sleep through it. 

"It's a really crappy way to start a Saturday morning," Melody mumbled into his chest. She finally pulled away and her father reluctantly let her go. Coffee seemed pointless because her whole body felt exhausted. 

"Sit down and have breakfast with me," Brian offered, motioning to the table. "At least have some eggs." He was more surprised when the girl grabbed her coffee and took a seat. He couldn't remember the last time they had alone time. Life got so busy at times and his biggest regret was not spending time with his children. As he made their food, he picked up the phone and recognized the number was from John and Freddie's house. While he waited for the toast to come up, he dialed it back and turned the corner as far as the cord could reach. 

"Hello," John's voice came from the other end. 

"Sorry I missed your call, I was talking with Melody," Brian said. 

"Is she okay?" John's voice asked from the other end. Brian could already tell John's maternal instincts were going all over the place. 

"She had a bad dream, but we are working through it. I'm making her breakfast like I did when they were small," Brian smiled at the last part. 

"Leo is worried about her. Has she told you two anything? Did something happen at school?" John pressed, forgetting for a moment why he called. "The other day when she came over she asked for Freddie, but he was busy." 

Brian peeked in the kitchen, watching Melody sip her coffee. "No she hasn't. She had a few arguments with Roger. He's mad she got a belly button piercing without telling us." 

"Oh, God," John rolled his eyes. "Do you think Quinn had anything to do with it? I'm going to have to talk to her." An idea struck Brian. 

"Were all of you coming over today?" Brian asked. 

"Um...yea that's the reason why I called. Freddie was talking about staying the night. The kids miss their cousins," John answered. 

"I think all four of us need to sit down and talk to Melody," Brian confessed. "She's not herself and I don't want it to be explosive. Roger almost got her to talk the other day, but he found out about the piercing. They've been avoiding each other." 

"Absolutely," John replied immediately. "If anything, Freddie will coax it out of her. He's always been great at that." Brian felt better knowing his friends would help. Biological or not, all of the children of Queen belonged to them. Freddie constantly reminded them they were all family no matter what. 

Brian finally got off the phone with John and luckily the toast was still warm. He felt the urge to ask Melody more about what was going on at school, but felt it was best he left it for their "family meeting". Instead, he told her stories about the band's early days. He chose the ones that would make her laugh. The one about John getting so drunk he didn't recognize their own song, really had her doubled over. When Roger finally graced them with his presence, he almost didn't recognize the girl at the table. Melody was actually smiling. He felt even better when she didn't tense up at the site of him. Roger kissed the top of her hair and went to make coffee. 

"I can't find my mug," Roger said pointedly, searching all over the cupboard. His hair stood up in all directions and he sleepily dragged his feet when he walked. Brian had always thought it was an adorable site. He heard a giggle come from the table. 

"I'm afraid it was hijacked," Brian answered him, laughing softly and looking over to Melody. "She left you Freddie's with the cats all over it though." 

"Lovely," Roger grumbled, this time earning a laugh from his daughter. He settled with the obnoxious cat mug and silently made his coffee. He wasn't quite awake yet for conversation. He actually felt a little jealous Brian had gotten their girl to brighten up. Something in his gut told him it was about to be a long day.   
....  
The boys sat and watched an interesting tennis match between Quinn and Romeo and the twins. Leo and Leona had picked up tennis the passed few years at school and had gotten quite good at it. They had an important match coming up, and they were delighted to know they would have help. Freddie and Roger even joined in at one point, but the kids were having so much fun they sat back and watched. Melody had yet to retreat to her room, but she had spent the last hour at the kitchen table doing her reading assignment. Roger was glad it was progress. Whatever magic Brian pulled out of a hat, it had worked. 

Melody walked out into the back yard and stood watching her sibling and cousins play. It was a beautiful day out and the wind blew her hair back. Her long legs were shown off with a pair of shorts. If it were anywhere else she would have felt highly self conscious. Freddie had once commented she had the legs of a model and her papa could have murdered him if he wanted to. 

"Melody!" She heard John call her over to where the adults sat. She walked over wondering what they would want to know this time. She swore if they inquired any more about Tyler, she was going to walk into traffic. 

"Have a seat, love," Roger said, patting the empty space on the picnic table next to him. "You're not in trouble," he added when he saw her face fall. She squeezed herself between Roger and John. Freddie and Brian sat next to her. Roger had been told about the little intervention John and Brian had talked about. He whole heartedly agreed they all needed to sit and talk in order to get to the bottom of it. 

"We've been talking," Brian continued, "a lot actually. And we've been thinking about your behavior these passed few weeks." Melody immediately tensed and John put a hand on her leg. 

"Relax, we aren't scolding you," John said softly. She looked at him and nodded. She could already feel a lump forming in her throat. 

"You hiding in your room all the time, that's not okay," Brian added. "We are worried. We don't know if you are having problems at school or if it's something else."

"And I was told you had a nightmare last night," John said, which was news to Roger. "How often do you have bad dreams?" Melody could feel her papa looking at her now, not out of anger though but out of love and sympathy. 

"Just as often as everyone else does," Melody said, which wasn't a lie. "Some are more strange than others, but I thought it was normal." Everyone else exchanged looks. 

"Leo informed us you had an incident at school and you've been leaving early," Freddie chimed in, stirring his tea. "Can you explain, darling?" Melody was cornered then and there was no point in lying anyways if Leo had told Freddie about the guy at school. She shifted uncomfortably. She could predict her papa's reaction, which made her even more nervous to say anything. 

"Melody," Roger sang, getting her attention. She felt John put a gentle hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to speak. 

"Okay, fine," Melody sighed. "I wore a skirt one day and I was walking down the hall....and this guy shoved his hand up to touch my thigh. He had said I looked really nice that day. I cussed him out and would have honestly knocked his teeth down his throat if I wasn't holding my books." She felt tears of shame leak out of the corner of her eyes and heard the adults audibly gasp. Roger was furious, but he had kept his cool for now so he wouldn't scare Melody off. He literally saw red at the thought of someone touching his girl like that, but he was also proud she stood up for herself. If he was in her shoes, he would have been upset too. Brian was just as pissed off, but he was always the one who could hide it. 

"It was my fault, I knew I shouldn't have worn it in the first place," Melody now sobbed, causing Roger's heart to break. He hugged her as tight as possible and John moved his hand in soothing circles on her back. 

"Kitten, it's not your fault," Freddie cooed from across the table. 

"Melody, don't ever be afraid to come to us. We are here for you," Brian said, sadly. Brian, being Brian, felt a bit guilty for not knowing anything about it or questioning what had happened. It could have been so much worse. He didn't allow his thoughts to go that far. 

"You could go to school in a bikini, and he still would have no right to touch you," Freddie reiterated. "Sorry, Rog," he apologized when he saw the look on Roger's face at the mention of Melody in one of those bathing suits. Roger finally let go of her when she was ready and smoothed her hair back. 

"All we ask, is you don't lock yourself away so much," Roger said softly, looking at her intently. "And if anything else is bothering you, you should come to one of us. Your father is going to worry himself into an early grave over you and I'd be right behind him."

Melody nodded, wiping her eyes. "Okay," she agreed. 

"Is there anything else you want to talk about while we are here?" Brian inquired. 

Melody almost told them, but she couldn't find the right words. They would think she was crazy. She remembered what happened to people who showed the smallest signs of depression or anxiety. They had learned about it in class. They got put away in an institution. Fear gripped her, and for a moment Brian thought she was going to say something but she just shook her head. 

"Nothing else comes to mind," Melody lied, but the boys took her word for it. Usually when she said something, she meant it. She had to admit though, talking about the creep at school felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The boy would probably die mysteriously in an accident later, but she felt less guilty. A part of her actually missed spending time with her parents and the rest of her family. Both Roger and Brian trusted they had a close enough relationship to allow a lot of communication. The dizzying spells she had though were terrifying and she wished she could find a way to tell someone without the fear of being judged. 

"We want to see you happy, Melody," John put his two cents in. "We wouldn't dare judge you for anything. We prefer you speak to us." It was like he could sense what was going on in her head, but he had always been the one to tell bullshit from a mile away. However, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. 

"I'll let you know if anything comes to mind," Melody finally concluded, praying it was enough to get the adults off her back. 

"You better," Roger said sternly. "Or I'm hiding my coffee mug."   
....  
Melody hit the tennis ball so hard, it almost smacked Romeo right in the head. He was quick though, and hit it back. Leona backed her up though and finally hit the ball out of bounds where the other team couldn't hit it. 

"That's not fair, you have a professional on your team!" Romeo complained just to annoy his sister. 

"So do you, dumbass," Melody replied dryly, looking towards Leo. Romeo stuck his tongue out at her and she had to resist the urge to flip him off.

Brian came out of the house and looked in their direction. "Melody, you have someone on the phone for you!" He called. Melody set her tennis racket down and started in the direction of the house. 

"I bet it's Tyler," Leona smirked, somewhat pleased with herself that she could help tease her about a boy. It was all in fun though. 

"It could be anyone," Melody rolled her eyes. 

"Yea, you don't want to make Leo jealous," Romeo said as he swung his racket in the air back and forth hitting an imaginary ball. Melody felt her face blush and didn't have to look towards Leo to know he had the same reaction. So what if they were close? 

"I could say the same about you and Quinn," she quipped, turning her heel to miss the expression on his face. She was greeted by the site of her papa standing in the kitchen with his arms crossed. 

"I have yet to see any results of your project," Roger frowned, but it was playful. Melody rolled her eyes and smiled, taking the phone from him. 

"Hello?" she said into the receiver. 

"It's Tyler, I was wondering if you were busy," Tyler's voice came from the other end. 

"It depends," Melody replied, "why are you asking?" 

"I wanted to give you the lyrics to the song, but I wasn't sure where to meet at. The library is closed. Do you want to meet me at the movie theater?" Tyler asked, a bit of shyness in his voice. "We could hang out, there might be something worth seeing." 

"Err...okay hold on, let me ask. I have company over," Melody said, blocking the phone with her hand so she could talk to her papa. "Tyler wants to give me the lyrics to the song we are working on, but he also asked if we could see a movie since the library is closed." She gave him her best blue eyed Taylor expression, the one that had worked for Roger on many occasions. However, today it was time for karma to bite him in the ass because his own daughter was using it against him. Roger sighed, contemplating on what to say. It was Saturday night...and Melody deserved to have fun. 

"Okay," Roger agreed and it was rewarding to see his little girl's face light up. "But, you have to be back by at least ten thirty...and I mean that!" 

"I guess it's a date," Melody said into the phone solely to see her papa almost faint. Roger really needed to go to the doctor to get his blood pressure checked.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody enjoys a night out.

Melody finished putting her earrings in and double checked her reflection. She didn't know why she was so concerned about her appearance, but she felt like putting in a little more effort into it. She denied it was because of Tyler. Brian had cornered her before she left the house and handed her some money "just in case." After hugging her papa goodbye, and kissing Freddie and John on the cheek, she left the house. It felt a little bit strange going out with a purpose other than school, but she was taking what she could get. Tyler was a nice person. She could place her trust in him. 

Meanwhile, Roger was feeling a mixture of emotions. He felt sad because their Melody was old enough to handle her own. He was a bit angry, which wasn't uncommon, because Tyler had come into her life. He had tried so hard not to envision the day his little girl would start dating. She denied it was a date, but the point was she was going somewhere to meet a boy. Relief was still there though, because they had made a breakthrough. Melody had been the happiest that day than he had seen her be in a long time. Roger felt guilty he couldn't pin point when she stopped smiling or when her laughs became few and far between. Brian had a history of depression. They had always dealt with it as it came, but a few classes in college reminded him it was trickier to treat in teenagers. There was something inside of Roger that he couldn't shake off. Melody wouldn't lie to them. 

"What's the matter, dear?" Freddie's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. The sun had already set, and the rest of the kids had been fed. They all had made themselves comfortable inside their large house. However, Roger had stepped out to sit at the picnic table so he could collect his thoughts. 

Roger looked at him with unbelievably blue eyes. "I need a cigarette is all," Roger admitted. Freddie looked at him, confused. The blonde had quit smoking a while ago, and he had told him it had nothing to do with their guitarist. Freddie, being Freddie, had kept the habit. He didn't do it as much. It was mainly when he was under stress from touring or the press. Sometimes he just did it when he relaxed. 

"Don't worry," Freddie said, fishing a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "I won't tell Brian." The blonde gladly took one and lit it up between his lips. Between Romeo's accident and dealing with Melody's issues, it was a need instead of a want. 

"He'll deny me anything to do with sex," Roger said, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he thought about how angry Brian would be with him, "but he'll get over it." Freddie put a hand on his old friend's shoulder. 

"I wouldn't worry too much about her," Freddie said, referring to Melody. Roger gave him a death glare in return. "If that boy tries anything, she'll call us to ask for help hiding the body. She reminds me a lot of you. She's definitely not helpless." 

"I just didn't expect it all to come so quickly," Roger admitted. "She's graduating in a few months. She'll be in college next year. I'm not ready." Freddie took a seat next to him and lit his own cigarette. 

"I don't think anyone is, darling," Freddie replied. "But you two raised a beautiful, well-mannered young lady." He inhaled, eyeing the back door to watch if Brian or one of the kids were coming out. 

"We raised her, Fred," Roger reminded him softly. 

"That, we did."   
....  
Freddie and Roger stayed outside for a considerable amount of time. Roger talked to him like in the old days. He vented and joked. Freddie listened over a few more cigarettes he shared with him. When they finally made it back inside, Brian had gone to shower or read. The kids were content. Romeo fought with the twins and Quinn over a device called the Nintendo. Freddie and John retired early to enjoy some alone time. Roger had the same thing in mind, since the youngest of the group would be up way passed bed time anyways.   
Roger showered in a spare bathroom, and purposefully dressed lightly. He remembered the conversation he had with Brian about trying for another child. The curly haired brunette had been right about him having more fun trying than raising one. With that in mind, Roger walked down the hallway. He didn't know if it was the lack of lighting or how tired he was, but he opened what he assumed to be his own bedroom door. 

"Oh, daddy," he sang perversely, hoping his husband would hear him. What he absolutely did not expect, were Freddie and John staring back at him from their bed. John looked a bit terrified, while Freddie smirked obviously amused. 

"Darling, all you had to do was ask. I'm sure Brian wouldn't mind sharing," Freddie mused and then preceded to lose it laughing at the look on the blonde's face. 

"Oh god, Deaky," Roger stammered, embarrassed. He pulled his robe tight against him despite the fact he still wore boxers. 

"That's what I say," Freddie winked, pulling John closer to his side. Poor John looked like he was about to have a panic attack. 

"Fuck off, Fred," Roger frowned before closing the door. When he found his own bedroom, he forgot all about his purpose of seducing Brian and curled up on his side on top of the comforter. He started considering his life choices. 

Brian had been spending time in their music room playing his guitar because he felt like it. When he returned to his bedroom, he found Roger still curled up on his side looking like he had seen a ghost. 

"Don't ask, Brian," Roger said, disturbed. "I just tried to seduce Freddie by accident. I bet John is having a heart attack." Brian started laughing, causing his husband to scowl. "Shut up, Bri!" Roger yelped. His face was now a lovely pink color from embarrassment and anger. Brian walked over, still laughing to Roger's dismay. He crawled into bed from the opposite side and ran his hand through Roger's soft hair. 

"You'll laugh about it later," Brian said softly, soothing the love of his life. "It was an accident. I know what your true intent was." If Roger had been looking, he would have seen him wink. 

"Being cheeky, aren't we?" Roger responded, voice dripping with sarcasm. He melted at his husband's light touches. These were the moments he lived for. When it was just him and Brian, the world shut itself out. Brian was good at making him forget in more ways than one. His own name was included. When Brian moved his hands down to Roger's thigh, his body really started to respond and soon the previous moment had been forgotten for the time being.   
....  
Melody had no idea why she was so nervous. She had spent more than enough alone time with Tyler than was necessary. Thinking about him now, her heart started to race. She could tell it wasn't her usual anxiety. This was something different. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why her stomach decided to tie itself into knots. She met Tyler at the theater as promised. When he waved her over, she all but ran towards him. 

"I wanted to give you this," he said, handing her a folded piece of paper. "We can go over it more later. I actually decided a movie is too boring." 

Melody took the paper and raised her eyebrow. "Too boring? What else is there to do?"

"Well, there's an arcade," Tyler grinned and Melody found herself smiling dumbly back. 

The arcade happened to be a short distance from where they were. At that point, Melody found herself thinking she would follow the boy anywhere he went. The bright lights and noises were mesmerizing. Her anxiety over processed it, but she pushed it back. It left her feeling jittery, but she wasn't about to let it ruin her night. Tyler invited her to play and was impressed when she beat him at their first game. Something about the way her dark hair cascaded down her shoulder and how her shirt hiked up to show the right amount of skin, had him lost in thought. Her shorts revealed her incredible long legs she had inherited from her father. Her skin was sun kissed from being outside for most of the day. 

When she found him staring at her when she bent over to play pool, she bit back a comment. Melody thought they had mutually agreed the outing was just as friends. That and she had sworn up and down to her papa nothing about it was romantic. The two lost track of time, and after sharing a pizza went out for a walk in the night air. 

"I hope you like stars," Tyler said as he walked her to an open field near the park. The city lights were dimmed in the area and there was a clear view of the sky. 

Melody huffed. "My father is an astrophysicist. I grew up with stars," she told him. 

"Yea? What does your mom do?" Tyler asked, now curious. Melody paused, thinking about how little she had revealed about her home life. A lot of people weren't accustomed to how her parents were. Her papa being a male carrier was still a taboo in society. She didn't talk about it unless she absolutely knew the other person wouldn't judge her. She didn't care if they judged her parents because she would tell them without batting an eye to fuck off. However, she had a fear of losing friendships. 

"Err...she's a singer," Melody answered after a moment. It wasn't a complete lie. They seated themselves on a patch of grass. Tyler once again brought out his own pack of cigarettes and lit one. Without thinking, she grabbed one from his pack and allowed him to light it for her. 

"You know these things will kill you," Tyler commented, watched her take a drag. 

"Maybe that's the point," she responded dryly. Tyler frowned and she thought if he wondered if she was being serious or not. She directed her gaze at the stars, taking a moment to take in the site. All the chaos had disappeared and what was left was a friend and the sound of crickets. 

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked. The question was directed so softly, she had to take a minute to process what he had asked. 

"I think so," she responded. "My parents said I've been acting weird lately." Tyler tilted his head to the side, intrigued. "I... I couldn't tell them." 

"Tell them what?" Tyler asked, concerned. Melody shook her head as though the whole conversation was silly. 

"I have these spells and it's like.... I’m not doing anything, but everything is too much," Melody found herself opening up. "If that makes sense." 

"It does," Tyler said simply. "It took me a while to realize stuff like that is more common than you think." He exhaled smoke and Melody shifted to avoid it. "Sorry," he laughed.   
"Asshole," she mumbled, but her lips turned into an adorable smile. She then found herself holding her own cigarette away from her body. She had stopped inhaling it to avoid too much. 

"It's not like you can tell the smoke hey stay over there," he joked, talking to his own cigarette and pointing it away from him. Melody rolled her eyes. "Seriously though, I found out it's sometimes all about perspective." Melody raised her eyebrow at him, not sure what he was referring to. "Look," he stated softly, taking his hand and placing it under her chin. He lifted her head up gently and it took her a moment to realize the sky above her was covered in stars. 

"Oh," she whispered, taking in the beauty of it. Tyler fell silent so she could collect her thoughts. When she moved her head to look back at him, he was looking at her like she had been looking at the night sky. It was like she was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. Something about the moonlight made her pale skin and dark hair stand out in every good way possible. 

"What made you do it?" he asked. "Your hair?"

"I felt like I needed a change," she said, now taking the time to study his face and handsome brown eyes. She hoped her brain absorbed the image like a sponge. "My parents prefer my old color, actually." She frowned, remembering Roger and Brian's reaction. 

"Sometimes change is good," Tyler stated gently. He didn't see a reason why anyone would dislike the color on her. He secretly hoped she kept it that way. Melody shrugged, looking a little bit defeated. "Hey," he said again to get her attention. When her piercing gaze met his, he couldn't help but close the space in between them. They exchanged a shy kiss under the stars. When they pulled away, Tyler was afraid she would run off. Instead, she smiled back at him with pink cheeks. 

"I'm just a girl with a cigarette staring at the sky," Melody said, not sure where the thought had come from. "I don't mean anything to the stars." 

"You're more than that," Tyler admitted. His own face had grown a bit warm and for a moment he feared she had dismissed what just happened. To his pleasure though, she kissed him again, but this time with a little more feeling. Melody extinguished her cigarette, seeing as it was useless not to smoke it. Her focus now was the boy next to her that she had been spending a lot of time around. Sometime during their time together, they had formed a friendship. Considering she just kissed him, she wasn't sure anymore where it was going. Tyler tucked her hair behind her neck and placed gentle kisses on the exposed skin. When she pulled away, he thought he had done something wrong. Instead, she took the moment to rest her head on his shoulder and he welcomed the gesture by wrapping his arm around her slender shoulders. 

"You can consider that my thank you," Melody joked, her breath tickling his neck. 

"Being cheeky, aren't we?" Tyler pushed her gently only to have her not move from her comfortable position. God knew she needed this. 

"You're a good person, Tyler. You don't need to change," she added, thinking out loud. However, she truly meant it. She hadn't expected him to listen to her that day she was fondled in the hallway, but he did. He met her with sympathy and without judgement. It was something she felt not a lot of people came at her with lately. 

"Thank you," Tyler said softly, kissing her hair. Melody felt high on the amount of affection she was receiving. She hadn't imagined it would turn out like this, but she wasn't complaining either. Their project could wait for now. She would look over the lyrics later. For now, it was just her and Tyler enjoying a private moment under the stars. The atmosphere felt so peaceful; she felt her eyes starting to drift closed. She hadn't slept well the night before, but it seemed to not matter now she was with Tyler. The boy felt himself dozing off also since the moment had turned into something so serene and beautiful. He wanted to soak up as much as he could just in case it would never happen again.   
She didn't know if it was the rustling of leaves in the bushes or dogs barking in the distance, but she woke up. She found herself tucked away in Tyler's arms. He was breathing softly he too had fallen asleep. She drowsily checked her watched and realization of what time it was made her heart race with panic. It was passed midnight. 

"Tyler," she said loudly, gently shaking him awake. "Tyler! I have to get home; my parents are going to kill me!" 

"Shit," he cursed, rubbing his face to try and wake up. "What time is it?" 

"After midnight! We need to go!" She all but shouted. 

"Calm down," Tyler rubbed her arm, trying his best to sooth her. When she swatted at him was when the seriousness of the situation hit him. He released her from his embrace and stood up, extending his hand to help her up. She grabbed it, panic setting in. She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to sneak inside the house unnoticed or even how she would explain why she had stayed out so late. He was kind enough to get them to a pay phone and call a cab. The bus station had long since closed. 

"If I don't call you for some reason, I'll see you at school," Melody said sadly when they stopped at her house. Before she could get out the door after paying for the ride, Tyler grabbed her hand. 

"It'll be okay," he tried to reassure her. "It's my fault anyways. I fell asleep too." Melody felt her heart sink a little bit wondering if Roger would ever let her see him again. For what it was worth, she threw herself at him and kissed him fully on the mouth. Her lips still tingled after she pulled away. 

"Be safe," she said gently with a hint of sadness. Tyler nodded, and with one last hand squeeze let her go. He hoped and prayed her parents were the understanding type. 

After watching the cab drive away, Melody walked nervously to her front door and fished out the keys from her back pocket. After unlocking it, she pushed the door open slowly careful not to make any noise. She closed it with just as much caution and locked it back. She had her hopes up that her parents had long since gone to bed and she could sneak back upstairs unnoticed. Her stomach tensed up when she saw the television was still on with a low volume and Brian sat on the couch engaged in a book. There was no other way up to her room other than somehow making it to a second story window. It was pointless anyways, because her father had yet to go to bed. Roger wouldn't have rested without knowing someone was watching that his little girl had made it home safe and sound.

Swallowing, Melody stepped foot in the living room, and it didn't take long for Brian to look up at her through his reading glasses. She was screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel welcomed to leave comments and kudos. Next few chapter may get a bit heavy. Content warnings will be added as needed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SLEEPING PILL OVERDOSE 
> 
> This chapter gets very heavy towards the end. I had difficulty writing this scene. Melody will be okay, she was just having a difficult time with things. I wanted this story to have an undertone about mental health. If you need help, please reach out to someone you trust. You are not alone. 
> 
> Next chapter will still be very heavy, but will have loads of fluff to lighten the blow.

“I can explain,” were the first words out of Melody’s mouth. Brian quietly set his book down and stared up at her through his reading glasses. She could already see the disappointment in his expression. 

“I’m waiting,” he said, keeping his voice low. His tone made her anxious. He was never the one to raise his voice. Roger’s bark was worse than his bite, but Brian’s quiet scolding was more effective in cases like this. Romeo was usually the one receiving both ends. Melody could count on one hand the occasions she had gotten into trouble. 

“We were near the park looking at the stars. I fell asleep! We both lost track of time!” Melody pleaded. “I would have been back before ten, I promise!” 

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose. “Have a seat, Melody,” he said through his hands. She obeyed, twisting the fabric of her shirt through her fingers. 

“I didn’t mean to, I swear,” she continued, sitting close to her father. Brian was about to say something but paused when she moved closer to him. 

“Melody Rose,” he cut her off. “Have you been smoking cigarettes?” He folded his arms and Melody detected a hint of anger and disappointment in his voice. 

Oh shit.

“Tyler,” she stammered, trying to find the right explanation. 

“Tyler gave you one, didn’t he?” Brian inquired. Melody was cornered now. She chewed her bottom lip, a habit she had inherited from Roger. However, she wouldn’t be able to bat her eye lashes and get out of this one. 

“No, I mean yes,” she stumbled over her words knowing lying would only make it worse. “I mean, he gave me one, but I didn’t really smoke it.” She stared at the floor, knowing Brian thought she was full of shit. Brian sighed and threw his book down on the coffee table. The thud made her jump. They remained in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. It felt like hours to Melody. 

“I’m going to bed,” Brian said in a serious tone. “We’ll discuss this more in the morning.” He turned to leave, abandoning a guilty Melody on the couch. Her thoughts were jumbled up. She had really done it now. It wouldn’t have been so bad. If fact, Brian was going to pretend it didn’t happen until he detected the stench of cigarettes on her clothes. “Turn the television off before you go upstairs,” he added, setting the remote on the space next to her. 

Melody felt wave after wave of guilt wash over her. When her papa got word of what happened, he would be up at the school first thing with a restraining order against Tyler. She would have to find a new partner, do it by herself, or fail the class. She felt the familiar tingle of anxiety grip her chest, making it feel like she couldn’t breathe. If her father wasn’t so upset with her, she would have called out to him. She would have sat there crying into his chest about how sorry she was, and everything lately was her fault. She would tell him how she had lied at the meeting she had with the adults. She felt horrible more often than she needed to, she just didn’t know how to explain it.  
The thoughts of calling for her parents faded, and she fell asleep that night on the couch.  
….  
Roger woke up curled close to Brian’s warm body. His head was laying comfortably on his husband’s thigh. Brian had been up all night, and if he wasn’t reading, he was contemplating something. Roger shifted and moved his hair from out of his eyes. The action proved to be adorable, but Brian had other things on his mind. He wasn’t prepared to tell Roger about Melody coming home late. However, when Roger thought it was too early to get up just yet and snuggled back into Brian’s warm skin, Brian all but melted. 

“How long have you been up?” Roger inquired sleepily into his side. 

“Unfortunately, all night,” Brian responded softly, his voice sounded tired and wary. Roger hummed, and the vibrations tickled his side. “Melody made it home late last night.” He thought carefully about how to choose his next words. The blonde was already starting to shift uncomfortably about the topic of their kids. He finally sat up and wiped sleep from his eyes. 

“Mm…did she?” Roger inquired. He put his hands by his sides, waiting for an explanation. It was still way too early for him to process information. 

“Yea, she came in passed midnight,” Brian continued. “And she smelled like cigarettes.” Roger squinted his eyes. 

“Really now?” Roger said, his voice hinting at his anger. 

“Unfortunately,” his husband sighed. “Tyler smokes them and they both did it.” 

“Wait, what!” Roger nearly yelled. “He…he touched her?” He had clearly misunderstood what Brian was trying to say. 

Brian felt like facepalming. “No…no, they both smoked cigarettes.” 

“I don’t know which one is worse!” 

Brian put his hand on Roger’s shoulder. “You’ll wake the whole house up,” Brian warned. 

“I’ll tear it down if I have to! Melody better hope to god I don’t get my hands on him!” Roger was now shaking with explosive fury.

“That’s fine, but I think we need to worry about our own teenagers first,” Brian tried to calm his husband down. Roger growled something vulgar under his breath and stumbled out of bed. He was going to have his coffee and then give everyone a piece of his mind. Brian would have to do a lot of damage control afterwards.  
….  
When Roger and Brian made their way downstairs, no one else was up yet. Freddie and John would sleep in for a while longer or wake up when the rest of the kids did. Roger approached the living room and found himself confused when the television was still on. Then he saw Melody’s sleeping form on the couch and he almost forgot why he was shaking with anger. Brian took a blanket from the arm chair and threw it over her shoulders. 

Roger stood there staring at her for a moment until he reached out and moved her hair behind her ear. She remained dead to the world. He almost felt bad for having to scold her later. Before they had came downstairs, he mutually agreed with Brian that as punishment they would take away senior prom. It was a difficult decision to make, but they were parents before anything else. 

“Bri, I need coffee,” Roger whispered as they both watched their daughter sleep. Brian nodded in agreement and they made their way to the kitchen. They wanted to enjoy the quiet while they could. 

Melody woke up not long afterwards. Her makeup and perfume were still on her from the previous night. She heard her parents moving around in the kitchen. She groaned internally. There was no escaping this. They ended up having a long talk over breakfast. Brian’s stern stare had her looking into her coffee cup. She couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact because he always had a gift for making them feel guilty. Roger let loose his rant and honestly, she preferred that over Brian’s quiet voice. They made it clear prom was out of the question that year. It sucked because this was the one year she chose to go, however she felt like she deserved it. After Brian’s hour-long lecture about the health risks of cigarettes, she was free to go. However, she couldn’t bring herself to leave her seat. 

As the rest of the house woke up, she distanced herself from the others. She wasn’t in the mood to talk. She couldn’t even bring herself to go upstairs and shower. Her entire body felt heavy. Roger watched her from a distance, and he felt a bit guilty himself. He knew she would live just fine without prom. It wouldn’t be fair to go easy on her counting the times he had to ground Romeo. It was a rough patch, but they were going to get through it. 

Monday morning came and Melody wasn’t ready. The first person she saw, was the one who had helped get her into trouble. Tyler approached her looking worried. He wondered if she wanted to speak to him after having to face her parents. Melody didn’t seem bothered by his presence though, and he took it as a good sign. He couldn’t forget the night they shared with her asleep on his shoulder. 

“Melody,” he greeted her. “I have a question for you.” 

“Oh, and I have an answer,” she said sarcastically. They had time to spare before the first bell, so she was curious about what he was going to say. 

“Prom is coming up soon,” Tyler began. “Will you go with me?” 

Melody’s face fell. “Oh, Tyler. I can’t go. I’m sort of grounded.” 

Tyler frowned. “I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble. You probably hate me right now. We can go back to being strictly project partners if you want.” 

“I don’t hate you,” Melody admitted, and she felt her face warm. “I actually like you…a whole lot.” Tyler sighed in relief. The bell finally rang, interrupting their moment. “I’ll see you at lunch,” Melody said before parting ways. 

Later in the day while transitioning to classes, Melody was approached by Leo. He looked a bit nervous and she started to wonder if something happened. Other kids could be cruel and like Roger, she would burn the school down if she found out someone had harmed one of her siblings. They weren’t related by blood, but they had grown up together and had grown extremely close. The school also had put up an obnoxious amount of posters advertising prom. Melody felt a sudden pang in her stomach because she had a hunch on what he was going to ask her. 

“Hey Melody,” Leo greeted her, fidgeting with the straps on his backpack. 

“Hey,” she responded, pausing to talk to him. “You look like you really want to say something.” She pointed out. 

“Um…I was wondering if you had a prom date yet?” Leo asked, looking at the floor. He was deathly adorable and honestly Melody wondered why no one had asked him yet.

“Oh, Leo,” she said sadly. “I can’t go this year. I got grounded and Tyler had already asked me. I doubt I’ll be going regardless.” Leo looked at her with sad deep brown eyes. The whole encounter was going to eat her up all day. 

“I understand,” he said, almost whispering. His quiet demeanor had come mostly from John. Leona wasn’t as shy, but Leo had favored John in looks and social skills. Melody felt like she wanted to cry. If Leo had been crushing on her, she was certainly blind to it. They weren’t related, making the relationship not impossible. 

“I’ll see you after school,” she said before continuing to her next class. She just wanted the awful day to end already. Tyler had therapy that day, so she rode the bus home. She didn’t feel like facing the twins. Leona would be mad Leo had gotten his feelings hurt, but the circumstances were out of Melody’s control. 

John and Freddie had decided to stay another night. Brian decided he wanted some quality time with his husband, so the couple made plans for the night to go out. Roger needed space away from everything. The poor thing was smoking again. When Brian had brought up he had just got done grounding Melody for the same exact thing, Roger had promptly told him to fuck off. 

Melody was being eaten up by guilt. She felt like she had caused nothing but chaos lately. It didn’t help her anxiety at all. She felt like a huge burden to everyone. She had let Tyler and Leo down. She disappointed her parents. Her godparents gave her pitying looks when they thought she wasn’t paying attention. Leona was distancing herself. For what reason, she could only guess it was because she had hurt Leo’s feelings. Quinn was still caught up with dance class and she spent hours on the phone talking to her best friend. Melody very well felt like she needed something to end her misery. What she was feeling was pure torture. Freddie had tried to question her, but she pushed him away saying she just had a headache. John had a distinct feeling something terrible was about to happen, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He shook it off as paranoia. Things had been chaotic lately.

When Melody couldn’t bare to be around people anymore, she retreated to her parents’ room only to remember they had gone out for the night. She planned on apologizing for everything she had done in the passed few weeks. Brian and Roger had always been a safe space for her. However, they were gone, and she felt so empty. Occasionally she had horrible thoughts that dealt with how she could live with herself. She rarely felt happy anymore. It came from a dark place inside of her and it was just getting worse. It was as if she was being swallowed by a merciless black hole. Her feeling of panic wouldn’t leave her alone and it was making her existence unbearable.

She swallowed as she investigated her parent’s mirror. She looked around and saw a pill bottle. It was her father’s sleeping pills. With shaking hands, she picked it up and read the directions. “Take one before bed time,” it read. Melody’s breathing became heavy as she opened it. She contemplated what she was about to do. She could put the bottle back and pretend this never happened. Or she could go through with her plan. Her mind was screaming at her to just take them already. She couldn’t turn back now.

She entered her parent’s bathroom and grabbed a paper cup used for mouth wash. She took one last look at her reflection and a tear ran down her cheek. She would feel better after this. She wouldn’t be in pain. She would be okay. Melody Rose Taylor-May dumped out a significant amount of pills into her hand, put them in her mouth, lifted the cup to her lips, and swallowed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, if you are having difficulty with mental health, please reach out. I deal with depression and anxiety disorder myself and I know it can be hard. 
> 
> Comment and leave kudos. The next chapter isn't written yet, but hopefully I will be able to post it soon so this won't be left at such an awful cliffhanger.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNINGS STILL APPLY 
> 
> John listens to his gut instinct and walks into a nightmare.

John couldn’t stop pacing. He had an undeniable feeling in his gut that he assumed came from a maternal place. Melody had disappeared an hour ago claiming she had a headache. She could have simply gone to bed, but something was off. 

“John, darling, you are going to leave imprints in the floor,” Freddie jolted him out of his thoughts. Freddie looked at him with loving eyes and walked over to put a hand on his shoulder. The poor darling looked like he needed a hug. When his husband kept fidgeting with his hands, Freddie pulled him into one. John allowed himself to be petted. Leo, Leona, and Quinn were already in bed, leaving the house eerily quiet. Freddie kept running his hand soothingly through his hair. Whatever was wrong, it seemed to be bad. 

“I think I’m going to check on Melody to make sure she is alright,” John said into Freddie’s shirt. He got a kiss on the forehead as a response. “We promised Roger and Brian we would look after her.”

“I know dear,” Freddie cooed. “You’re doing an amazing job of it. Nothing gets passed my Deaky.” John smiled at his words and kissed him. 

“I’ll be back soon,” John responded. He walked away reluctant to let go of his partner’s hand. 

“Please do,” Freddie winked. “I chose the bedroom farthest away in the house, so we don’t have to worry about being loud.” John blushed but noted his husband’s request. He climbed the stairs and approached Melody’s bedroom. The door was open with a vacant bed. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen. The rest of the bathrooms were empty. John could never wrap his head around why a house needed so many damn bathrooms. The last place he checked was Roger and Brian’s room. Melody was notorious for stealing their bed while they were out because she claimed it was the most comfortable one in the house. Her parents had a hell of a time prying her out of it, especially when they wanted alone time. 

John opened the door and found Melody’s sleeping form on top of the bed, just like he suspected. However, she hadn’t bothered to get under the blankets, nor change into night clothes. The sight was quite strange. What hit him in the gut though, was the half empty pill bottle next to the pillow. 

“Oh, no,” John whispered as he rushed to the girl. “No, no, no,” he kept saying. Tears began to sting at the back of his eyes. He cursed when he read the bottle was Brian’s sleeping pills. He shook Melody’s shoulder to see if she would wake up. There had to be an explanation. Maybe she couldn’t sleep, and she just took one. John prayed that was the case. When she didn’t respond, he shook her harder. The motion would most likely leaved bruised finger prints on her skin. “Melody, sweetheart, wake up!” He pleaded. She was still breathing, but it was shallow. The gut instinct he had earlier was now screaming at him. She must have taken them not long ago. Thank god he had listened to his instincts before it was too late. When shaking her awake was deemed pointless, he ran from the room. “Freddie!” he called out. “Freddie, we need to call an ambulance!” John ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over his own feet. 

Freddie had heard the desperate call and for a second wasn’t sure what he heard was correct. What did they need an ambulance for? When he was met with the site of John sobbing at the foot of the stairs, he knew it was serious. 

“John! What happened? Are you hurt?” Freddie inquired. His heart was now racing.

“Don’t just stand there! Call an ambulance! Melody took Brian’s sleeping pills! I can’t wake her up!” John yelled and without question Freddie ran to get the phone. 

Romeo heard the commotion from his room. He was usually last to fall asleep because he procrastinated on doing homework. He came out to see John a mess at the foot of the stairs. 

“What’s going on?” Romeo asked, confused. He started to come downstairs when he overheard Freddie on the phone.

“Yes, we need an ambulance right away! My god daughter is unresponsive!” Freddie said into the phone. His voice was steady and calm. How he kept it together, no one knew. Romeo tried to make his way to his sister’s room, but John stopped him. 

“Romeo, go back to your room,” John ordered before the boy would be traumatized for life. He already had the image of Melody’s lifeless body stuck in his head and it would most likely stay there the rest of his life. Romeo didn’t need that. 

“I don’t understand,” Romeo said with a hurt expression on his face, turning to look at his god father. 

“I thought I said get back to your room!” John yelled and it was startling. Romeo felt chills go through his spine as he obeyed and retreated to his bedroom. He shut the door and spent the next thirty minutes trying to make sense of the situation. Why was there an ambulance being called for Melody? Was she okay? Romeo’s thoughts spiraled and for a moment he thought about going to see the twins. However, if they were still asleep, he would feel awful for waking them up to this situation. 

“They’ll be hear any minute now,” Freddie said as he approached his still sobbing husband. He sat next to him on the stairs and pulled him close, embracing him tightly. He already had the front door wide open so the paramedics could enter. John cried openly into his neck, and all Freddie could think about was keeping the situation under control if possible. He could handle John, but if he had to comfort the rest of the house hold he would surely break. 

….  
Brian drove down the road that lead to their house with a giggly Roger in the front seat. He had warned him about too many drinks, but there was a special going on that night at the restaurant. If it meant getting Roger to at least relax a little, it was worth it. Brian couldn’t seem to convince drunk Roger to throw away his cigarette pack. He had to take the good with the bad. 

“I feel really good right now,” Roger giggled as he played with the air conditioning vent. 

“I bet you do,” Brian said sarcastically, but he couldn’t help but smile. He saw flashing lights in his rearview mirror and pulled onto the side of the road. An ambulance rushed passed them with sirens on full blast. 

“Bri, are we on a roller coaster? What’s with all the flashing lights?” Roger asked, dumbly as he clearly was still having the time of his life. 

“You’re silly, Roger,” Brian said, watching the ambulance pass them and his blood went cold when it looked like it stopped at their house. Brian silently got back on the road, but nearly floored the gas which pleased the blonde next to him. He ignored him saying something about Disneyworld and the worst-case scenarios started going through the guitarist’s mind. Roger sobered up quickly when he realized what was happening. 

“Bri,” Roger began, “what’s going on?”

Brian unbuckled and got out of the car. “I don’t know. Stay here.” Roger frowned and unbuckled his own seatbelt. It would be a cold day in hell before he obeyed orders. The blonde stepped out of the car and approached one of the paramedics. 

“Excuse me, we live here. What happened?” he demanded more than asked. Roger’s stomach was starting to feel queasy and he didn’t know if it was the alcohol or his stomach’s way of telling him what was wrong. 

“We got a call about an unresponsive young female,” the paramedic informed him, and Roger felt his world turn upside down. “Are you one of the parents?”

"I am,” Roger said, feeling panic build up inside of him. The next thing he knew, a stretcher was being pulled out of the front door. He couldn’t tell who was on it. Freddie and John followed by a pale looking Brian followed. Roger nearly collapsed when he recognized Melody. His first instinct was to rush to her, but he was forced aside so the paramedics could do their job. It was Freddie. 

“Roger, stay calm,” Freddie warned him, and he felt like he had been kicked. 

“Stay calm! That’s Melody they are taking away! How the hell do you expect me to be calm!” Roger pointed at the ambulance and yelled loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood. He tried to pry himself from Freddie, but the man was stronger than he appeared. 

“I know darling, but Brian is going to have to follow them to the hospital. I’m sending John with you. I’ll stay here,” Freddie said, gripping the blonde tightly as he put up a fight. He could already tell Roger was losing it. 

“Melody,” Roger croaked out pitifully and collapsed in Freddie’s arms. Freddie held him, rubbing his back in soothing motions. “Melody, sweetheart, what happened?” Roger asked trying to reach the stretcher, but Freddie was still holding him tightly and he sobbed. 

It was beginning to become harder for Freddie to hold back his own tears. “She took some sleeping pills. John found her and couldn’t wake her up,” he explained into Roger’s hair. He watched as Brian talked to the paramedics, trying to make sense of the situation. Freddie could already tell the guitarist’s brain was going into over drive. However, Brian was also the only one capable of driving. John was still a mess and Roger was upset and intoxicated. They didn’t need anyone else being sent to the hospital, or worse. Soon the vehicle was ready to leave, and Brian was walking towards them. 

“This is all my fault,” Brian blamed himself. “I should have locked my medicine away. I didn’t think she would do something like this.” He looked at Freddie and Roger with wet eyes. 

“Brian, you couldn’t have possibly known she would do this. We need to be strong for everyone,” Freddie said, still holding on to Roger. He handed him over to Brian who wrapped his arms around his shoulders. “I told John to keep me updated. I’ll try to make it up there in the morning.” John embraced Freddie tightly one last time. “My heart,” Freddie whispered into his husband’s hair. “I love you. Take care of Roger.” 

John nodded. “I’ll do what I can,” he whispered. “I love you too, Freddie. I’ll call as soon as we hear anything.” Freddie nodded and watched the group climb into the car. Roger was still a crying mess. It left him extremely worried because he knew Roger’s emotions could go to distraught to pissed off in the blink of an eye. Freddie stood outside until both vehicles vanished into the horizon. He felt incredibly empty. He heard John yell at Romeo earlier. He knew he hadn’t meant it. Melody meant the world to them all and John had been caught in his emotions at the time. He had in mind to give Romeo an explanation when he went inside. It was going to be a long, horrible night. 

….  
As soon as they pulled into the hospital parking lot, Roger had unbuckled and started sprinting to the door. Brian blamed it partially on the alcohol but even without drinks, he could see the blonde allowing his emotions to get the better of him. He couldn’t blame Roger though. He had been the one to carry her for nine months almost eighteen years ago. The two were extremely bonded. Melody was their first and she meant the world to everyone in the band. John ran after the blonde, leaving Brian feeling extremely numb. He felt like his legs couldn’t move fast enough. 

Sure enough, Roger was causing a scene and demanded to see their daughter. The poor nurse was trying to explain to him they had to pump her stomach and get as much of the drug out of her system as they could. Sleeping pills, if taken in large quantities could cause the lungs and heart to stop functioning. 

“I need to go back there!” Roger yelled looking as if he was about to strangle anyone who stopped them. 

“Sir, if you don’t calm down, we’ll have to call security. Please let the doctor’s do their job. Your daughter is in good hands. You’ll be able to see her as soon as she’s stable,” the nurse warned as she put a hand on Roger’s chest to stop him from going through the doors. Roger wasn’t a very tall man, and the nurse was a few inches tall enough to be able to stop him. 

Brian didn’t think he would ever be grateful enough to have John there. John had put his arm around Roger’s shoulders and was guiding him away from the nurse. They were being stared at by everyone in the waiting room. 

“Roger, come on. You need some water before you dehydrate,” John said in a low voice as he guided Roger to the water station. He filled up a cup and handed it to the blonde. Thankfully, he took the offer and drank it. Before he could sit down, Brian was at his side and pulling him into a hug. The guitarist was shaking as well. 

They all sat down in an uncomfortable silence. Roger was leaning on Brian’s shoulder and John was right there beside him running soothing motions up his arms. Brian was very much at war with himself. He should have paid more attention to the signs. He should have known Melody was at risk mentally because of his own issues. He didn’t even want to think about what it all meant for the future. 

Roger was lost in his own thoughts wondering why the girl didn’t come to him. Why didn’t she say something was bothering her that much? They always communicated openly about things until recently. He should have pressed her harder and maybe he shouldn’t have been so harsh to her the past few days. He was going to drive himself mad wondering what made Melody take it this far. What made her look at those pills and decide to try to end everything? Only the higher powers seemed to know those answers. 

Quite honestly, if anything happened to Melody that night no one would be able to forgive themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a very heavy chapter for me to write. The next one won't be as heavy, but the band will have to face certain issues. This chapter was going to be longer, but I'm extremely tired. I still promise Melody will make it out okay.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if content warnings apply here, but we are still in a darker part of the story. 
> 
> Everyone else tries to make sense of the situation. Leo and Melody have a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dark but with lots of fluff. Melody wakes up and the rest of the group tries to handle the situation as best as they can.

The next few hours for Melody were blurred and confusing. There was a lot of nurses coming in and out. There was a lot of talking. Some voices she vaguely recognized, but her brain was too fuzzy to put a face to them. Finally, when consciousness blessed her, her whole body felt awful. Someone was holding tightly to her hand. She recognized some type of intravenous line in her arm. Then on the opposite side, sat her god father, John. He looked as bad as she felt. He hadn’t slept at all that night and stayed right by her side while her parents handled all the questions doctors threw at them. 

“Thank god,” John whispered, squeezing her hand. It slowly come back to her about what she had done. She vaguely remembered the pills and then falling asleep. Panic slowly started to creep up on her along with a horrible amount of guilt. She didn’t know what was worse. The pain in her abdomen or the intense feeling she had disappointed everyone more than she could ever imagine. John’s warmth however, grounded her. She was forever thankful she didn’t wake up alone. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” Melody managed to utter out. Tears were now falling down her cheeks. She felt like she deserved to feel like a dumb bitch. She deserved whatever pain she was going through.

“Honey, we’ll get through it,” John reached out and stroked her forehead. In the past few hours, the doctors had to pump her stomach because it was unknown the number of pills she had taken. Then they had given her a shot of something to counteract the effects of sleeping medication. It was specifically designed to wake the patient up after such instances. John couldn’t thank the doctors enough for not giving up on their sweet Melody. He had feared the worst. It wasn’t uncommon for overdose victims to slip into a coma or go into organ failure. Her case wasn’t as severe, but it was still scary as fuck. 

The door opened and Melody caught a short glimpse of a distraught Roger. When he realized she was awake, he alerted the nurses. Melody had to answer a few questions and her vitals were checked. They also took blood from her to run more tests. Her parents wanted everything to be covered. Finally, Roger and Brian were allowed in. Both were a mess. Brian was the one to replace John and he immediately held her hand. Melody had another guilt attack. Seeing John was hard, but her parents were a new level. She hadn’t considered that her pain had caused everyone else intense pain. 

“I’m going to call Freddie,” John said softly, giving Melody one last look. Brian nodded. 

“Try to get some rest,” Brian encouraged him before he left. His attention turned to his daughter and his first instinct was to hold her tight and never let go. However, he didn’t want to disturb her IV’s and the heart monitor she was attached to. He resorted to running his free hand through her wavy hair. 

“I thought you hated the color,” Melody whispered. She felt incredibly weak now. Her stomach hurt and she felt nauseous. The entire lower half of her body ached worse than when she had period cramps. 

“It looks lovely on you,” Brian smiled back at her sadly. “It brings out your eyes.” 

The door opened once more, and Roger entered looking a bit frustrated from all the questions he had to answer. His expression changed when he saw Melody was still awake and whispering to Brian. His legs shook as he walked over to her bed. She looked ill. He pulled up a chair on the opposite side of her and sat down. His body leaned towards her so he could have as much contact as he could. 

“God, Melody you gave us all a scare,” Roger said feeling a mix of anger and sadness. When she looked at him with wet eyes, he nearly lost it. If anything had happened to her, he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself. There would be two funerals instead of one. Brian and Roger had mutually agreed not to pressure her about why she had done it. That would be a conversation for another day. He wanted to soak up the moment of having her back with them. 

“I probably deserve all of this,” Melody whispered. “Everything hurts.” Roger saw Brian wiping his own tears from his eyes. 

“We are here now,” Roger said trying to keep his own tears back. “You don’t know how happy we are that you survived. Whatever is going on with you, we won’t leave your side for a second.” Roger didn’t know if it was his maternal instincts, or the tearful look his daughter had given him, but he urged her to move over. He didn’t want anything else but to have her back in his arms. Brian helped him with all the cords attached to her and eventually Roger was laying as best he could right beside Melody. She immediately snuggled into him and he wrapped his arms around her with his head rested on top of hers. Roger mentally dared someone to say he wasn’t allowed to do it. Brian rubbed soothing circles on Melody’s stomach and smoothed down her blanket. 

“They want to keep you here for a few days,” Brian spoke softly. “We agreed to have you see a therapist, if you are comfortable with that.” Melody nodded into Roger’s shoulder. “You can tell us anything, Melody. We won’t judge you.” She wanted to say something, but another intense wave of nausea washed over her. It was so intense; she saw black spots in her vision. 

“Erm…I’m about to be sick,” Melody whimpered out and Brian immediately got one of the hospital bed pans. The doctors had warned them she would vomit. It was her system getting all the toxins out. Roger held her hair back as she wretched into the pan. Brian winced because it looked awfully painful. When she was done, Brian retrieved a cup of water and offered it to her. 

“Drink it slow,” Brian urged, when his daughter put her hand over her mouth after one swallow. Luckily, she kept it down. 

“I’m sorry,” Melody apologized, shaking. Roger rubbed circles on her back. 

“Don’t be, love. We’re right here. We aren’t going anywhere,” Roger soothed her. He exchanged a heartbroken look with Brian. When their daughter finally settled back down after one more vomiting spell, Brian found himself sitting on her bed. His arms wrapped around them both, because God, they both needed it. The guitarist put his feelings on the back burner and Roger knew it was going to come back to bite him on the ass later. When the pair dosed off finally, Brian once again found himself unable to sleep.   
…  
Sometime during the morning, Brian and Roger had reluctantly pried themselves from Melody. Roger joined Freddie on a smoke break. The rest of the kids were there as well as John. Freddie didn’t tell them all the details, just that Melody was ill. The rest, Melody could tell them when she was ready. 

Melody woke up with her head on a warm shoulder. She didn’t recognize it as her papa’s soft arms, but it was bony and smaller. Her eyes rested on Leo, who was staring off blankly at the corner of the room. 

“Where’s everyone else?” Melody asked, her voice sounded dry and a bit melancholic. She still wasn’t in the best mental state. She found being confined to a hospital bed depressing. Her body felt very weak and the ache in her abdomen was still there. The nausea wasn’t as severe, but food didn’t interest her now. It was an awful state to be in.

“Wondering around,” Leo answered, his voice apathetic. “They didn’t want to overwhelm you. My papa vaguely explained what happened, but I read your chart.” He explained and looked down at her. “What made you do it?” 

Melody was taken aback by the forward question. “Because I wanted to die,” she answered bluntly. The words hung in the air for a few seconds. It was much more complicated than that, but she didn’t feel like giving a detailed explanation. 

“What would that have solved?” Leo asked, not meaning to sound harsh. “Why would you leave us alone? Leona and Quinn still need you. I still need you. Romeo wouldn’t have anyone to annoy.” Melody would have laughed at the last part, but his words stung. 

“You can leave if you want,” Melody suggested, thinking if he was so upset there was no point of being there. 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Leo said, regretting that some of his anger had slipped out. Deep down he was pissed off she would choose to do something so selfish. Then he felt guilty for feeling anger, because it wasn’t Melody’s fault. Like John had said, she was ill. 

“I hurt you,” Melody said earning her a confused look. “That day you asked me to prom, and I said I couldn’t go with you, I had no idea you had a crush on me.” She felt the situation was beginning to turn awkward already. It was enough he had climbed into her bed, but deep down she appreciated it. Leo always had been a warm person. 

“Melody, it’s okay.” 

“No, no it’s not! None of this is okay!” Melody’s anger boiled over. She was angry at herself, at Leo, at her parents for not being in the room, and just…. everything.   
Leo swallowed when she gave him a teary look. “You like Tyler. I get it.” He said it as though it never had broken his heart. It did, however there had always been a chance she would reject him. Leo couldn’t pin point when he started to crush on Melody. Maybe it was when she turned twelve and she started to become pretty instead of just another girl. Leo had beat himself over it because they were family. They weren’t blood related, making the crush viable. It was still awkward though, because she acted sisterly to him his entire life. 

“I never meant to hurt anyone,” Melody whimpered, and Leo pulled her close. He moved his hand up and down her arm, trying to sooth her. She was in such a vulnerable state and Leo internally beat himself up for upsetting her. She had enough problems to worry about. His crush on her could wait. Leo had some hope it wouldn’t work out with Tyler. 

“You just focus on getting better,” Leo told her and pressed his lips to her hair. “It’s not the same at home without you.” Melody melted against Leo’s body and allowed herself to be comforted. She was still very tired and closed her eyes until the nurse came to check her vitals. Knowing the rest of the group was in the building set her mind at ease.   
….  
Roger was a walking train wreck. He hadn’t slept and neither had Brian. Freddie had kidnapped him for a smoke break while Brian and John handled the rest of the kids. Quinn had been attached to Freddie’s side the entire time they were there. Being the youngest, she was terrified. Leona was a bit unreadable. She was trying to stay emotionally stable and took on the older sister roll. Leo was worried, and Romeo had been deathly quiet the entire time.

At one point, Brian became visibly upset over something small. His emotions had been bottled up the entire night, and something as simple as John singing to Quinn just broke him. Brian had sung to Melody all the time when she was small, and even when she was still developing inside of Roger. She would always respond to his voice with a light kick when Roger was pregnant and the memory of it all was his undoing. Romeo had been sitting next to him, and when he noticed his father’s distress, he pulled him into a tight hug.   
Meanwhile, Freddie was outside with Roger. 

“I feel like I’m in a nightmare,” Roger said, taking a drag of his cigarette. 

“We all are,” Freddie agreed. They sat on the steps of the hospital trying to take at least some comfort from each other’s presence. Roger had gone through countless crying spells and if the situation had been lighter, Freddie would have joked about him being pregnant again. Roger’s hand holding the cigarette started shaking and Freddie had to take it and set it aside so he could pull the blonde close. “She’s loved, darling,” Freddie said into Roger’s hair. “And we are going to show her how loved she is.” 

Roger nodded. “She…she barely touched her food this morning,” he said worriedly into Freddie’s shoulder. “What if she doesn’t make it through? What if she…she gives up completely? “Roger cried.

“Don’t you dare think like that!” Freddie said sternly, but his soft movements showed he didn’t mean it as scolding. “Melody is strong, just like you are. She has a flame that she got from you. It’s just a little dim right now.” 

Roger pulled away, mainly because his back wasn’t as young as it used to be. He wiped at his eyes, deciding he needed to pull it together. If Melody needed to heal, he had to take care of himself too. 

“Thanks Fred,” Roger mumbled, wiping his eyes. 

“You cry anymore, you might make me wonder if we have another Romeo or Melody coming,” Freddie smirked, trying to lighten the mood. He felt guilty at first, but it went away when Roger’s familiar “spark” came back. 

“I don’t know, I wouldn’t want you to be jealous that I actually have time to make another one,” Roger said dryly. Freddie clutched his chest in fake shock. 

“I mean if you really want to know….,” Freddie mused, feeling glad there was some normalcy for the time being. 

“No, Freddie, I don’t.”

“We try at least twice a day!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to be honest here because the story is going to become a lot happier after this chapter...Roger may or may not be pregnant again. I'll have to think about how to fit the timing in the story line, but there's something to look forward to...if I decide to go with it. Tell me what you think about a pregnant Roger lol. 
> 
> Feedback is always welcomed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody returns to school and has an interesting moment with Tyler. 
> 
> Lots of fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of self harm and suicide

During the next few days, Melody seemed to get better. Her bloodwork started to go back to normal. Brian and Roger were relieved there wasn’t any permanent damage to her liver and kidneys. Freddie had bought her the biggest teddy bear possible from the gift shop. Normally she would have complained about all the attention, but she appreciated the cuddles and words of love. Honestly if it weren’t for her parents and cousins, she would have gone insane being alone with her own thoughts. The conversation finally came with her parents about her anxiety attacks. Melody didn’t hold anything back and told them how she had felt the days leading up to her awful incident. Roger and Brian were more relieved than they had felt in days. Their girl had finally opened up to them, and she trusted them. It was a very tearful conversation. Roger sat next to her the entire time rubbing her back and hugging her when necessary. Brian found himself hugging her in an accidental death grip. It was difficult for him to stop blaming himself, but when Melody said it wasn’t his fault, she meant it. 

Romeo was mature enough to understand the situation, along with Leo and Leona. Quinn understood what she could and after she wouldn’t stop fussing over Melody over little things. She was just as bad as Freddie. Quinn had braided her hair into a French braid and had given her the best lip gloss she could find. However, she couldn’t find anything to erase the dark circles under Melody’s eyes and the paleness that still presented it on her face. Melody had comforted Quinn the best she could and reassured her she would make it out of that hospital. Leo and Leona spent their after-school time giving Melody her missed assignments and notes. It was something to do between visits and Melody still prided herself on her education. Romeo brought her magazines and her favorite books. He always tried to lighten the mood with inappropriate jokes he heard around school. The boy always had stories to tell. He would be lost without his sister. Leo always seemed to stick around if he could and glued himself by Melody’s side.

Melody had received a beautiful flower bouquet from Tyler. She expected him to visit her, but maybe the gift was the easiest thing to do. He wasn’t exactly on good terms with Roger, but Roger smiled when he saw the flowers were from him. Maybe Tyler wasn’t that bad. Melody had wondered if Tyler had known her circumstances, but something told her maybe Quinn or Leona had found him.

The day finally came when Melody was released from the hospital. It had been about a week and there were all more than happy to have her back home. Roger and Brian treated her out to dinner at any restaurant she had chosen. However, it was strange to be back in the place where it happened. There was talk about putting her on antidepressants but prescribing them to someone her age wasn’t advised. She left with a prescription for her anxiety attacks. It was something she could take when needed. The first night back, she found herself restless and the familiar sense of panic came over her. She took one and waited. However, she promised her parents she would speak up when she started feeling bad. So, she found herself at their bedroom door. She was smart enough to knock this time, just in case she walked in on them again. It was something she wished she would never again see. 

Luckily, they were still awake. Brian was reading his usual book and Roger was silently curled up to his side. 

“What’s wrong, honey?” Roger immediately sat up. Brian set his book down. 

“I can’t sleep. I had to take an anxiety pill,” Melody said, looking at the floor. 

Brian furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s on your mind? Is there a reason you felt anxious?” Roger could see Brian’s brain working into overtime again. 

“Maybe it’s just being here,” Melody admitted. “Where I did it.” She shut the door and walked to her parent’s bed. Roger frowned and made a space for her between him and Brian. 

“I don’t think you’re ready to go back to school yet,” Roger thought out loud. Melody made her way into the bed and sat with her legs crossed between her parents. “We can homeschool you again, if you’re comfortable with that.” Melody shook her head. 

“I can’t give up on that project. Tyler won’t have a partner,” Melody objected. 

“Tyler can find someone else!” Roger argued. 

“Rog,” Brian interrupted. “We can’t force her to not go back. We took time off for the band so she could finish high school. Let her have the experience if that’s what she wants.” He put a comforting hand on Melody’s shoulder. “Spring break is coming up and they’ll be out for two weeks anyways.” 

“I’ll go back Wednesday,” Melody added. “I just need time to adjust.” 

Roger nodded, seeming satisfied. “I was just putting the idea out there. I don’t want you to feel stressed.” Melody inwardly rolled her eyes. She had been on top of her school work thanks to the twins, so she wasn’t worried about missing so much school. Convincing her papa though, was hard. He had the right to be concerned. 

“How does the beach sound?” Brian suggested, smiling at Melody. “We made plans to rent out a cabin. We all need the time away.” 

“It sounds good to me,” Melody said sleepily as she laid down and snuggled into Roger’s side. The blonde melted and exchanged looks with Brian. This was the girl they had missed for so long. 

“Get some rest, Melody,” Brian said softly. He pulled the comforter over her making her feel safe. Anything negative she had felt started to go away. She wasn’t sure if it was the new medicine or the combination of that with her parents being there. Brian leaned over and kissed the top of Roger’s head. After making sure the two were properly tucked in, he returned to his reading. He knew he was going to be awake for a while. He had thrown the sleeping pills away. He couldn’t rest until they were nonexistent. Roger looked content with their daughter back in his arms. He had always said he missed their kids hogging the bed, even if it meant less intimacy with Brian. 

“Bri,” Roger whispered when Melody dosed off. Brian looked over at him through his reading glasses. “I couldn’t have done this without you. This entire week has been hell.” 

“I know,” Brian responded quietly. “Freddie was right. She’s as strong as you are.” He looked fondly at the sleeping girl next to him. “Now all we need is for you to quit those damn cigarettes.” 

“I’ll think about it,” Roger winked. 

“Remember that the next time you ask me for- “ 

“I can hear you!” Melody immediately objected, making Roger laugh. “You two are so gross.” 

“I apologize, Melody,” Brian said, blushing. “But how do you think you got here?” 

“Okay, you can stop talking now. I don’t need that mental image when I’m trying to sleep,” Melody quipped, causing Roger to laugh harder. God, they had missed this. Brian put his hands up in surrender and went back to his book. He chuckled though, loving the fact their teenager had gone somewhat back to normal.  
…  
Roger woke up with a face full of dark hair. At first, he thought it was Brian’s locks that were tickling his nose, but then he remembered Melody had stayed the night in their bed. The girl had wrapped herself around him, just like she had when she was a toddler. She was lightly snoring in his ear which gave him some comfort knowing she was finally getting some rest. He untangled himself and found that Brian had finally fallen asleep sometime during the night. For a moment, he wished he had his camera to capture the moment. However, there would be plenty of time to take pictures once they all left for vacation. 

Romeo was already downstairs eating cereal. He wasn’t really eating though. He had sat there for ten minutes stirring his spoon in the milk until the crunchy pieces turned soggy. He held an expression on his face Roger had only seen a few times. The last time being when Brian’s father had died. 

“Leave it to you to turn corn flakes into oatmeal,” Roger commented as he started the coffee machine. 

“I wasn’t hungry anyways,” Romeo replied like he was moping. Roger turned around and arched his eyebrow. 

“You’re not hungry? Are you running a fever?” Roger asked. Romeo had always eaten like they starved him. It was rare that he wasn’t the first person to look for food. 

“Mm,” Romeo mumbled and got up from his seat. 

“Hold on a second, Romeo. Where do you think you are going?” Roger inquired, using what Freddie had called his “mom voice”. 

“To school,” Romeo replied shortly. “You know, the place I’m required to go for the next few years.” Roger had to inwardly count to ten. He knew the situation would only get worse if he let his famous temper come out. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Roger asked, making the boy stop in his tracks. Romeo looked back with a hurt expression. 

“Do you remember my classmate that committed suicide last year? That was almost Melody. I just keep picturing a shrine at school with her picture and flowers. Maybe it was partially my fault she did what she did,” Romeo admitted looking at the floor. Roger thanked whatever god was watching them, because he felt like hell would freeze over before their teenagers would say honestly what was on their mind. Roger crossed the room and place a hand on his son’s shoulder. 

“None of it was your fault,” Roger turned serious. “We can’t predict the future and in Melody’s case she’s doing a lot better. Don’t let your mind wonder into dark places. She’s here with us now and I’ll die before something else happens to her.” Romeo tackled his papa into a hug, leaving Roger a bit shocked. “Spring break is coming up. We’re going to the beach,” he said into the boy’s ear. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a shithead lately,” Romeo apologized bluntly. “And that sounds awesome.” Roger tried his best to suppress his laughter. He patted him on the back and released him. 

“You’re our shithead,” Roger replied cheekily and lightly punched Romeo’s shoulder. Romeo faked pain but made his way to the door. 

“I’ll be sure not to fuck too many bitches today!” Romeo yelled crudely before running off to catch the bus. He always made a last-ditch effort to get on every one of Roger’s nerves. Well, the moment was good while it lasted. 

“Romeo Felix Taylor-May!”  
….  
Melody returned to school Wednesday like she had promised. A few classmates asked where she had been, and she came up with the generic excuse she had been out with the flu. Crossing paths with Tyler was inevitable. Like she had predicted, Quinn had found him and told him what had happened. They met up after school, this time in the music room, so they could put together the piano piece Melody had trouble with. 

“Thank you for the flowers by the way,” Melody said, pressing keys to see what sounded better. They had the beginning of the song down and were working on the rest. 

“I figured you would like them,” Tyler said, snapping the rubber band on his wrist. Melody scrunched up her eyebrows. 

“What are you doing?” she inquired. “Doesn’t that hurt?”

Tyler shifted uncomfortably. “It’s so I don’t…I don’t hurt myself for real. It’s an old trick for people who used to self-mutilate or they do, and they want to stop.” Melody’s fingers stopped pressing the piano keys and they seemed to hover in the air. 

“Tyler,” she breathed. “You don’t….do you?” she stammered. She tried to wrap her head around what he was trying to tell her. 

“I used to,” Tyler admitted. “I’m going to be blunt with you. I tried to kill myself at the beginning of the year. I had it all planned out and everything. No one would miss the weird kid with the hoody.” He showed her his wrist. A harsh, long scar decorated his pale skin. “My parents found me. I was out of school for a while.”

“I don’t know what to say to that,” Melody admitted, searching his face to see if he was pulling her leg. His expression remained serious and she didn’t know how to feel about him allowing himself to be so vulnerable to her. 

“You don’t have to say anything,” Tyler let out a hollow laugh. “I wanted to see you when you were in the hospital. I blamed myself for not taking you seriously when you mentioned you wanted to die. I just thought you had a really twisted sense of humor…and I liked it. That makes it so much worse now that I say it out loud.” 

Melody boldly put her hand on his knee and looked him in the eye. “You couldn’t have done anything. It was my choice to make.”

“I could have at least told you that you weren’t alone,” Tyler said so softly she thought she had imagined it. Melody shifted back into her seat, not sure what to say. 

“Well, I’m still here and I plan on staying for as long as I can,” Melody tried to smile. “I can’t leave you without a project partner.” 

“Is that all we are?” Tyler asked and the question hung in the air. 

“Do you want it to be more?” Melody inquired, tilting her head curiously. “More than friends I mean?” She didn’t know where the last part came from. The conversation had taken a turn. Rather or not it was a good one, Melody didn’t know. Tyler stretched his hand out and moved her hair behind her ear. Her stomach knotted itself in a good way and she hoped his intention was to kiss her. When he finally cupped her face and leaned it, her stomach flipped. The kiss was light and short. When he pulled away, she chased him and gave him a harder kiss filled with fondness. After, his lips kept connecting with hers and it took all her strength not to crawl into his lap. 

“Erm,” she said awkwardly. “I think we did enough work today. I’m ready to go home.” 

“Did I do something wrong?” Tyler asked, shifting back to his original position. 

“No, it was fantastic. I just think we need to…focus,” Melody giggled. She all the sudden felt giddy like a preteen. 

“I really wish you could come to prom with me,” Tyler smiled but it held an undertone of sadness. 

“Then you shouldn’t have offered me that cigarette,” Melody quipped and lightly tapped his nose with her fingertip. 

“You didn’t have to kiss me either, but here we are,” Tyler smirked, and Melody swore she would have melted. “I’ll see you tomorrow though,” he added. “You be careful on the way home.” 

Melody gathered all the sentiment she could and said, “And you stay alive for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got positive feedback on Roger finding out he's pregnant....but you guys are going to have to wait for it because I'm evil. It will be worth it though I promise. 
> 
> Comments and kudos welcomed. Let me know what you want to see in the coming chapters. I'm open to more ideas.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring break finally starts leading to interesting events and conversations. Melody finds out she's not exactly out of the woods yet.

The last day of class before spring break seemed to drag by slowly. Tyler and Melody were beginning to feel burnt out on their project, so they decided to skip their meeting after school. The piano piece was coming along nicely. They were more than half way through. Melody was fooling herself though if she thought Tyler was going to not see her for two weeks without saying goodbye. 

“Melody!” he called as he ran to her before she walked to the bus station. She turned stopped and turned around. Her hair was pulled back today in a ponytail and the loose strands blew lightly in the wind. Melody greeted her with a smile. It was something she was doing a lot of lately. 

“I thought you were going to therapy today?” she asked, trying to remember if he had told her about his schedule change. 

“Fuck therapy,” Tyler responded, trying to catch his breath. She would remind him later how bad those cigarettes were for his health. 

“Okay,” she laughed. She raised her eyebrow and waited patiently for him to explain why he had caught her before she went home. 

“We aren’t going to see each other for two weeks,” he said. 

“I know, my poor heart can’t take it,” she quipped, but winked at him and she thought the poor boy was going to die. 

“Um…I got you something,” Tyler stammered, all the sudden nervous. “Something that isn’t a floral arrangement.” He pulled something out of his pocket and revealed a golden bracelet with musical note charms. In the middle was a plague that said ‘love yourself’ written in cursive. Melody didn’t know if she wanted to kiss him or cry. “Can I?” he asked, and Melody concluded he wanted to put it on her wrist. It clasped on easily and went lovely with her skin tone. 

“Oh,” was all Melody could say. The thank you barely left her lips before she threw herself at him in a hug. The action was so forceful, it knocked him back a few steps. Tyler hugged her back tightly and prayed it wasn’t sniffles he was hearing. He had no idea how to handle a crying girl. 

“You be safe on your vacation, okay?” he said when she finally released her. “Call me if you need anything.” 

“You too, okay?” Melody said as she wiped her cheek. Tyler nodded and went to walk away, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him back. She kissed his cheek like it was the most natural thing to do and when she wasn’t satisfied, she captured his lips. 

“I’ll see you around,” Tyler told her. He felt amazing after kissing her and Melody had to admit she felt great too. 

“Yea,” she responded, smiling.  
….  
The car ride to their destination was more than interesting. The beach was a familiar place for Brian, because he had many memories of going with his parents. Romeo didn’t understand why they had to take a car, but Roger had insisted it had been forever since he got to drive a long distance. Roger’s fascination with cars had never gone away. Freddie and John followed them in their own vehicle. The kids switched cars every few stops and Roger swore he was about to go insane with all of them. Leona and Melody were the only quiet passengers so far. Anyone else, Roger felt like he wanted to jump out of the driver’s seat and into the highway. He considered getting into Freddie and John’s car and let Brian have the kids. However, it wouldn’t have done much of a difference because Freddie would choose to be an ass in the best way possible. 

During the last part of their car ride, the sun had long set. Everyone was beginning to become tired and irritable. Brian offered to drive so Roger could rest. He swore if he had to hear about Romeo’s tiny bladder one more time, they were going to drop the teen off and drive away. As soon as Roger shut his eyes, he realized things were strangely quiet. Too damn quiet. He shifted and peered into the back seat. Both Melody and Romeo were now asleep. Romeo’s head rested on his sister’s shoulder with her head on top of his. Roger took the opportunity to take out his camera and take a picture. Romeo would have died at the thought of it, but he deserved it. 

They all sleepily piled into the vacation house in walking distance to the beach. None of them were awake enough to unpack except for sleeping clothes and toiletries. They had already eaten while on the road, however if they were hungry no one was in the mood to make food. Roger had made a mental note to do some shopping first thing in the morning. However, when Roger woke up at 5 am nauseated, he decided against it. He brushed it off as something they had eaten while on the road. He had told Brian that sushi he had looked suspicious. Roger went about his day like nothing happened. The ill feeling finally passed by noon. The plan was to have a picnic on the beach. Not long after they got there, Freddie kidnapped him for a smoke break. Roger lit one up and inhaled and instantly regretted it. 

“Damn stomach,” he cursed to himself, and stubbed the cigarette out. 

“Darling, where did Melody get that swimsuit?” Freddie asked, pointing in the direction Melody was heading. Roger looked and almost fainted. The girl wore a red two piece that was too revealing for Roger’s taste. The straps tied up in bows on her shoulder and were also accessorized on the bottom half. It could have been worse, but Roger went to shock to laughter. Leo was staring star struck at Melody like she was a mythical creature. 

“I’m not too worried about her,” he laughed. “Look at Leo’s face!” 

“Oh dear,” Freddie rolled his eyes and chuckled. “He was going to realize it one day.” He said to himself. 

“Realize what?” Roger inquired, still watching Melody wade into the water only to be pushed in by an over excited Quinn. 

“Titties, darling,” Freddie said bluntly without much of a thought and Roger nearly hit the ground. 

The day was winding down, and they returned to the cabin. Again, their evening meal was going to be outside. Brian was busy in the kitchen preparing food with Melody. Roger thanked the gods the girl had finally put clothes on. Leo staring was hilarious but also punching him in the face would have been frowned upon. Melody was chopping up strawberries for a dessert and Brian hummed to himself while he prepared a vegan dish. Freddie was starting to grill outside in the yard as the other kids played. Roger watched Melody pop a whole strawberry into her mouth. 

“Melody Rose, save some for dessert,” Roger teased, approaching their daughter. 

“Mm,” she said while chewing but had a hard time suppressing giggles. “You always get the best strawberries, try one.” She went to hand him a strawberry, but when he went to grab it, she popped it into her mouth. Cheeky thing. 

“Melody!” Roger objected, but the smile appeared on his face regardless. Brian chuckled from where he was standing. Roger took one on his own and took a bite. He hadn’t liked them before Melody was born but since it was his go-to food while he was pregnant, he adored them. 

“Feeling better?” Brian asked from his spot over the stove. 

“A lot, actually. I think it was the food we ate last night,” Roger replied, thinking about his sudden onset of nausea. He still couldn’t smoke a cigarette. Maybe it was a sign.  
Dinner turned out to be interesting. Roger turned his nose up at the meat Freddie had grilled, and Brian almost died of shock when he preferred the vegan dish. Freddie faked being offended. 

“My meat isn’t good enough, dear?” he asked, frowning as Roger ate his vegetables. 

“You could phrase that a little better. We’re trying to eat,” Romeo objected, causing Roger to glare and Leo to snicker. Leona and Melody rolled their eyes. 

“Idiots,” Leona mumbled. 

“Are we not going to talk about the bracelet Melody is wearing?” Romeo blurted out with a knowing smirk. 

“Don’t be nosey,” Melody scolded, stabbing her fork into her food. 

“Tyler does have good taste,” Quinn added, satisfied someone had finally mentioned it. 

All eyes were suddenly on Melody and she sighed before explained. “Fine, it was a gift from Tyler! Happy?” she glared at Romeo. 

“Getting serious, aren’t we?” Freddie chimed in. 

“Leave it alone, Freddie,” John said gently, touching his husband’s arm. “It is beautiful though.” 

Melody was starting to get mildly irritated, despite John’s innocent nature. She had been in a mood all evening and she had a feeling her lovely monthly gift was coming around. Perfect for spring break. She got up with an audible huff and went to put her plate away in the kitchen. Roger watched the whole thing and frowned. Brian stood up and went to follow her, but Romeo interrupted. 

“I got it,” Romeo said, standing and following his sister. Melody was still in the kitchen washing her plate off and a few other dishes. It was a habit she developed because she was too damn nice. “I didn’t mean to piss you off,” Romeo said from the doorway. 

“I’m used to it, Romeo. You piss me off daily,” Melody said harsher than she meant. She felt bad and turned around to see the hurt expression on his face. “Sorry, I’m not feeling well.” She apologized. 

“I’m just scared, you know,” Romeo admitted. Melody gave him a confused look. 

“Scared of what?” she asked. 

“That you’ll do it again,” Romeo said, his eyes looked at the ground. The event had him extremely disturbed and left him paranoid. He never wanted anything bad happening to his sister, despite his love for aggravating her. “I kind of feel like it was my fault.” Luckily Melody wasn’t holding one of Freddie’s precious china plates or she would have dropped it.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Melody told him. She felt like she had been saying that line a lot lately. When Romeo’s face didn’t change, she added “I’m so sorry I put you through that, come here.” She opened her arms and Romeo crossed the room to accept the embrace. Romeo had gone through a recent growth spurt, so her face easily found itself in the crook of his neck. Romeo gripped her for dear life. It was the first time they had really talked about it or had any contact since she was in the hospital. Roger and Brian had come in quietly to watch the exchange. Roger found himself tearing up a bit. Brian quietly grabbed his arm and lead him back outside so the siblings could have a moment. “I owe everyone else an explanation. Quinn has been so confused lately. She’s been avoiding me,” Melody said when Romeo released her. 

“You don’t need to explain until you are ready,” Romeo tried to comfort her. “What you do need to explain though, is why you haven’t introduced us to Tyler.” 

“Fuck off,” Melody scoffed, but playfully punched his arm.  
….  
The night turned quiet as everyone started to settle down. Freddie and John enjoyed each other’s company outside. They were talking amongst themselves until Leo had came out to find them. 

“I just think it’s odd Roger didn’t want my food,” Freddie was saying. “He normally runs people over for it.” 

“His stomach is probably still upset,” John replied, linking his arms with the other man. They had a beautiful view of the beach and the night made the scene peaceful.

“My stomach gets upset trying to eat Bri’s cooking!” Freddie exclaimed dramatically. They heard footsteps behind them and saw Leo approaching. He perched himself beside John. Freddie wanted to bring up him ogling Melody earlier but decided to let it slide this time. 

“Are they getting on your nerves too?” John asked their son. 

“Well, Romeo called Leona a wench,” Leo said, chuckling at the thought. “And now she’s trying to kill him.” Freddie stifled a laugh and John looked unamused. 

“There’s something else, dear,” Freddie pressed, knowing their son. “What is it?” 

Leo found it difficult to explain, because the situation was kind of awkward. “You’ll make fun of me, but it’s about a girl,” he started. Freddie put down his cigarette and found himself delighted he was the one to go to for romantic advice. He already had Leona’s wedding planned and paid for when the time came. However, he found himself feeling the sting Roger had talked about when he realized all the children of Queen were growing up. 

“Honey, we aren’t going to make fun of you,” John said. “Well, your papa might, but I’m the mature adult here.” Freddie almost spit out his drink. 

“Speak up, kitten,” Freddie urged. “What’s on your mind?” 

“I really like her, but,” Leo began. He started twisting his shirt in his fingers. It was a habit he inherited from John. 

“But what?” John inquired. 

“She likes someone else,” Leo finished, staring at his hands, “a whole lot better.” Freddie scratched his head as he tried to come up with the best answer. No one had prepared them for teenage heartbreak. 

“I’m sorry, honey,” John apologized, rubbing Leo’s back. “Is she pretty?”

“She’s beautiful,” Leo said, smiling sadly. “I think I love her.” Freddie raised his eyebrow and exchanged looks with John. They weren’t prepared for this. 

“What’s her name?” Freddie asked. “I bet she’s really nice.” 

“Erm,” Leo shifted uncomfortably.

“You don’t have to tell us. We are just trying to help,” John added, keeping up with his soothing motions. 

“It’s…it’s Melody,” Leo blurted out. Oh shit. 

John stopped his hand and Freddie’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. 

“Oh dear,” Freddie said to himself. “And she’s infatuated with that Tyler boy.” 

“Does she know you like her?” John asked, looking at his husband for help. Freddie only shrugged. He was just as clueless. 

“I asked her to prom, but Tyler had already asked,” Leo explained. “She’s not going anyways so there wasn’t a point.” 

“You’ll find someone else,” Freddie tried to comfort Leo. “I bet there is other girls dyeing to go to prom with you. You did get your looks from your father.” Leo shrugged defeatedly. 

“High school relationships normally don’t last long anyways,” John said. “You might still have a chance. You and Melody were always so close as children.” 

“I just hate it has to be this way,” Leo said sadly. 

It was going to be a long two weeks.  
…  
The next morning, a very excited Quinn dragged the rest of the group of kids to the beach. Melody’s mood improved, despite her impending period that had yet to start. Leona brought a beach ball they all bounced around amongst them. Romeo purposefully hit it into the water, so Melody had yelled at him to go get it. The water was still a bit cold for everyone else’s taste that early in the morning. When he finally retrieved it and was boasting about the water not being that cold. He called the rest of them something expletive and then was rewarded by a big wave crashing over him. The group was met with the hilarious site of his trunks being forced down almost to his knees, giving them a plain site of his butt. 

“Dear god,” Melody covered her eyes but was laughing. Quinn was cheering. Leo was doubled over with laughter as Leona looked in a different direction unamused. However, not long after the hilarious event, Melody felt the familiar prickling feeling of anxiety begin in her stomach. Her vision went out of focus and her heart raced. She tried to distance herself from the group to collect herself, but she felt like she couldn’t breathe. 

Quinn had the beachball back and was about to hit it when she noticed Melody retreating with a distraught look on her face. “What’s wrong with Melody?” she turned and asked Leona. Leona looked and saw Melody sitting on a folding chair crying. 

“Leo, Romeo,” Leona called the boys over and pointed. They stopped their chattering and looked. All their laughter died. 

“Oh shit,” Romeo cursed, frowning. “She must be having a panic attack.” Before he finished his sentenced, Leo started running in Melody’s direction. The rest of the group followed. 

“Hey,” Leo said softly, sitting down next to her. His siblings and Romeo gathered around the poor girl, unsure of what to do. Melody was visibly shaking and was so upset she couldn’t get words out. Leona put a hand on her shoulder and Romeo kneeled next to his sister. Quinn knelt besides Romeo. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin everything!” Melody sobbed and wiped at her eyes. It was always at inconvenient moments that her spells happened. She felt like she deserved to be left to sit and cry while the other’s played. She didn’t want to be a burden 

“Don’t apologize,” Leona soothed her. “We’re right here. You don’t have to go through this alone.” 

“Do I need to get one of your parents?” Quinn asked. “Or one of mine?” Melody shook her head. 

“I don’t want to bother them,” Melody answered, trying to get her breathing under control. Leo was the first to hug her. His arms wrapped around her side. Leona hugged her from behind the chair, resting her head on top of her cousin’s. Quinn and Romeo joined in and honestly, Melody finally felt safe and cared for. 

“It’s okay to not be out of the woods yet,” Romeo said, squeezing his sister. “And you aren’t bothering anyone.” Quinn was squeezing her hand tightly. 

“We should take a break,” Quinn said, frowning. “I shouldn’t have gotten you up so early. I just thought it would be fun. We have plenty more time to be out here.” 

“Quinn it’s okay. I was having fun,” Melody sniffled, and finally smiled. “That’s the thing though. My anxiety comes around when I’m enjoying myself. I just don’t want to drag others down with me.” 

“You can drag Romeo under the water,” Quinn quipped, trying to keep the tone light and playful. “Just make sure he has his pants when he comes up.” Romeo glared at the younger girl. “What? That was funny.” Quinn gave him an innocent look. 

They stayed loving on Melody until Romeo’s stomach obnoxiously growled. The group agreed on breakfast and Melody promised she would be inside in a moment when she collected herself. She had calmed down tremendously at that point but felt incredibly empty. She hugged her knees to her chest and stared out at the water. Leo stayed behind to make sure she kept her promise. The girl needed to eat. 

“Leo,” Melody thought out loud, gaining his attention. She made sure the others were out of site. “Does it make sense to be…suicidal but not want to die?”

“I think it’s common,” Leo responded, but wasn’t sure where the conversation was over. “Why?”

“When I freaked out earlier, I had terrifying thoughts,” Melody continued, keeping her gaze at the waves crashing down on the beach. As the day went on, the ocean seemed to wake up. It was beautiful. “If some freak accident happened, like if I got swept out to sea and drowned, what would it matter? I would be content of it all ending without it being intentional.” 

Leo’s heart almost stopped, but he furrowed his eyebrows to try to figure out what to say next. “That is scary, but we would all be devastated without you. It would matter.” He stood up to stretch. His feet were starting to fall asleep and he was uncomfortable. “But we wouldn’t let you get swept away, Melody. We were warned not to go in the water alone.”

“I know,” Melody responded, smiling sadly up at him. There was an awkward pause. “Thanks, by the way for not abandoning me.” 

Leo returned the smile and outstretched his hand to help her stand up. She grabbed it and underestimated his strength because she was nearly pulled into his arms. Their faces almost touching and their chests flush against each other. Leo turned pink and Melody stepped back without much of a thought. The movement did break his heart a little though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering, the song Melody and Tyler are working on is inspired by "Prove Me Wrong" by Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots. I recommend giving it a listening to. It helped inspire this fic. 
> 
> Feedback and Kudos are always welcomed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger receives good news. Melody is in a bad mood and Leo gets caught in the crossfire. 
> 
> Plenty of fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shouldn't have to post a content warning about this but Melody gets her period in this chapter and poor Leo gets a taste of PMS. So if periods gross you out....don't read it?

Roger found himself retching into the toilet once again the next morning. He didn’t understand how food poisoning could come and go as it pleased. This time it was god awful. He dried heaved over the toilet with tears in his eyes. The last time he was in this situation he was pregnant with Romeo. His mind kept ruling out he was pregnant again though. However, his heart fluttered at the thought. One more little one wouldn’t hurt. He felt Brian’s cool hands comb his hair back. 

“I think you need to see a doctor, love,” Brian said gently. His voice was still sleepy, and it was incredibly adorable. However, Roger couldn’t enjoy the moment much because his body heaved again. 

“I don’t need a bloody doctor,” Roger protested. “I need to go back to bed.” Usually he would be up around this hour making coffee if Brian was awake. He started making a mental checklist of symptoms. 

“Roger,” Brian said sternly. He made soothing motions on his husband’s back. 

“That’s the last time I eat your vegetarian shit,” Roger huffed. He felt grumpy and his stomach ached from vomiting. 

“Well I was proud of you,” Brian smiled, thinking about Roger at least tasting his dishes made his heart happy. “Brush your teeth. I’ll take you back to bed.” Roger surprisingly obeyed and got the taste of vomit out of his mouth. When they were done, the blonde was more than happy to jump back into bed and enjoy cuddles. Brian’s hands moving in gently circles around his middle did wonders. He felt like a spoiled cat. 

“I’ve gotten soft around that area,” Roger mumbled into Brian’s shoulder. “Maybe I should start eating better.” That was another check on his mental check list. There wasn’t much more to go. He curled himself closer to Brian’s warmth. The nausea hadn’t fully gone away, but it was better than hovering over a toilet. 

“I like it, love,” Brian nuzzled Roger. “It’s more to hold onto.” Roger made a content noise and allowed himself to fall asleep with Brian still rubbing his stomach. Things were about to get interesting. 

Roger finally got up later than usual. The kids were lounging around the house and taking a break from the sun. John was already fussing over Quinn’s sun kissed shoulders. They had all used sun screen, but with Freddie’s genes their skin turned a lovely olive tone in the summer. Romeo was already burned. That wasn’t a surprise. 

When Roger found himself near tears over spilling a glass of orange juice, he finally gave in and decided maybe he was pregnant again. Luckily, no one else was around and he was able to wipe a few tears away and move on with his day. He made the excuse he was going to get medicine from the store among other things. Brian offered to go with him out of worry, but Roger insisted he could use the quiet time to himself. He had already given his half full carton of cigarettes over to Freddie and made up a story of how he wanted to quit. Freddie shrugged and proceeded to have a twenty-minute conversation with him about petunias. The flowers had been a favorite of Roger’s mother and the thought had him tearing up for no reason. He was able to hurry the conversation and convinced Freddie he wanted to be back before lunch so he could sun bath. 

The isle of pregnancy tests still looked intimidating. Roger could never decide on the brand. He chose one at random and prayed the cashier wouldn’t ask questions. He would most likely cry out of anger or happiness. Or just because they looked at him funny. He didn’t miss the mood swings. Roger was so lost in thought; he almost passed the medicine isle. He bought the stomach medicine and Tylenol just in case. He remembered being a bit crampy in his past pregnancies due to organs growing. 

He couldn’t sneak the test in the house, and he was eager to find out the answer to the question he had all morning. So, he settled with taking it in the bathroom. The few minutes he had to wait were nerve wracking. Sitting in a bathroom stall for ten minutes was a little boring. Roger had already found himself absent mindedly rubbing his stomach. There was a bit of excitement in the situation. His heart started racing as he finished counting down the minutes. He picked up the test with shaky hands and finally looked at the result. Positive. Roger cried for twenty minutes. 

The blonde had to make one hundred percent sure the test was right, so he made an appointment at a walk-in clinic. He could give the excuse he had gotten hungry on the way and then was stopped by a fan. The nurse was gentle with the blood work. They talked about their children and Roger answered what he could remember from his past pregnancies. He was aware he was at a higher risk with his age, however the nurse assured him with his history they would be just fine. His hormone levels were perfect. When the results came back positive again, he gave his information to transfer to his regular obstetrician. Roger had an appointment for an ultrasound the week they returned from vacation. He came home with his heart soaring with love and excitement. He would tell Brian soon and eventually the others. What he was looking forward to most, was the look on Romeo’s face when he found out he was no longer the youngest. Then, Roger tripped over a random rock and let out a string of curse words long enough to make his mother blush. That part was normal.  
….  
Melody thought she was out of the woods with her PMS until she found herself back at the beach. Her cycles were usually regular but sometimes her body was just odd, and she would have symptoms for no reason. Between Romeo and Quinn, her annoyance level was high. It was just the three of them in the water for now. They only waited out to about chest level. Leo and Leona were on the beach practicing tennis with promises they would soon join them. 

“I want to see who can hold their breath the longest,” Quinn suggested cheerfully. She was laying on her back floating. Her black swim suit shimmered in the sunlight. 

“The loser has to eat a whole baby octopus my papa bought,” Romeo grinned. Roger had ordered take out earlier and had loaded up on sushi. Why he wanted octopus, no one knew. Quinn splashed him playfully and he splashed back. Melody of course was in the cross fire. Her cramps were becoming intense by the minute, but she stuck around just to entertain her cousin. She didn’t want Quinn to feel like she didn’t want to be around her. 

They all took a deep breath in unison after Quinn counted down at the top of her lungs. She always had to over do stuff. Melody took a deep breath knowing she would be the one to win. She was on the swim team in middle school. Romeo didn’t even know how to dog paddle in five feet of water, so she had a fair chance. She must have lost track of counting because the rush of water in her ears was soothing. The loud voices of her brother and cousin had been tuned out. Being underwater was strangely a relief. Melody found herself extremely alarmed when a pair of arms scooped her up and brought her to the service. Melody started thrashing because all she could think about were irrational thoughts of a serial killer or sharks. 

“You’re okay, you’re okay,” Leo’s voice repeated as he held onto her. Melody spit out water and winced at the amount of sunlight in her eyes. Her abdomen was now screaming at her. 

“What the hell?” Melody cursed, finding herself face to face with Leo. Why did he feel the need to be so obnoxiously close to her?

“You were under for about a minute,” Leo explained, and Melody could only imagine the confused looks on Quinn and Romeo’s faces. 

“We were seeing who could hold their breath the longest, you idiot!” Melody screamed at him unapologetically. She mentally started cursing mother nature or Eve. Whichever came first. 

“But you said yesterday,” Leo trailed off, looking hurt. 

“Said what?” Romeo asked, tilting his head to the side. Water dripped from his hair and down his face. His voice sounded raspy like his papa’s. He looked winded from holding his breath. All his boasting and he was the first to come up for air. 

“Don’t you dare,” Melody warned, glaring at her cousin. 

“She said if she drowned it wouldn’t matter,” Leo finished. Silence fell among them and Melody resisted the urge to slap the boy in front of her. 

“What?” Quinn mumbled, confused and a bit hurt. Her boisterous personality was reduced to a much smaller and shy one. 

“Melody,” Romeo tried to defuse the situation. “You didn’t mean that, did you?” 

Melody inwardly facepalmed. She was so tired of upsetting other people. “You know what,” she said, lightly shoving Leo off her. “Fuck you.” She heard the other two gasp as she turned her heel and exited the water. She cursed the fluid for making her legs drag as she stormed off. The others were too stunned to call her back. Leona was watching the scene unfold from the beach. She gave her cousin a sympathetic look but said nothing. Melody rarely took her anger out on other people, but when she did it was enough to bring the entire house down. 

When she made it back to the house, she accidentally slammed the door behind her. She was going to dry off and then attempt to take a nap. Sure enough, she had started her period. She found the most comfortable clothes possible and then asked Brian for some Tylenol. 

“Do you have a headache?” he asked, only to receive a glare. It clicked what was going on with her, so he gave her the medicine and backed away. He literally put his hands up in surrender. Roger’s moods he could handle, but Melody’s PMS was a whole different story. Both Brian and Roger were guilty of forgetting that part of female biology, so when she got it the first time, they had to ask a neighbor for advice. Roger had studied biology in college and still didn’t know anything about it. He just knew to throw chocolate, Tylenol, and a heating pad at her and call it a day. 

Melody found the couch to be the most comfortable place, so she curled up and attempted to sleep as the waves of cramps took over. Swimming had left her exhausted as well as the emotions going through her at the thought of Leo’s words. Roger found her curled up and was immediately worried. 

“Bri,” Roger whispered to his husband so their daughter wouldn’t hear. “Is she okay, did she have another attack?”

“She just…started her period,” Brian whispered back cautiously. Roger let out a small “oh” and left it at that. The topic was still a bit taboo, especially for men to talk about. However, Roger and Brian handled it well. It was just part of life. 

“Poor thing,” Roger mumbled, glancing at Melody’s form on the couch. He was feeling tired and for some reason pregnancies had made him more cuddly than usual. So, when he couldn’t resist grabbing a blanket and a heating pad, it wasn’t a surprise. He draped the blanket over Melody and laid beside her. His maternal instincts were going crazy at this point. She protested until he offered her the heating pad. Then she melted into the couch. 

Brian walked in to see Melody curled into Roger’s side. They were both asleep. The room was quiet and peaceful, so he sat in one of the arm chairs to read. There was something comforting about watching over his loved ones. His curious mind wondered on what had taken his husband so long to retrieve medicine from the store and have lunch. Roger was a straight forward person when it came to shopping. He had also come home with a bag that looked like it came from a pharmacy. However, he hadn’t had time to ask when he had seen the doctor on his outing. He made a mental note to ask the blonde later that night.  
…  
Roger and Brian were relieved when Melody felt better after her four-hour nap. They didn’t object to her having chocolate ice cream before dinner in fear of their arms being ripped off and being beaten from the dismembered limb. Romeo and Leo were strangely quiet. The two boys resorted to going upstairs to play video games. Brian pitied them if they had been victims of Melody’s wrath sometime that day. Their girl never took any shit from the two teenagers, especially now. Quinn decided to play tennis with Leona as a distraction. John and Freddie were chosen for the opposite team. 

Sometime after dinner, Melody planted herself comfortably on the couch to read a book she borrowed from Brian. Brian took the opportunity to sit with her and read his own book. She laid down near his lap, enjoying the quiet except for the loud conversations coming from the tennis match outside. The television was set on a low volume and a few candles had been lit to make the room ambient. Brian treasured moments like these dearly. He had missed his children being around. 

A loud crash came from the kitchen along with Roger’s colorfully chosen curse words. Melody moved to see what happened but was stilled by Brian’s hand on her shoulder. 

“I got it,” he chuckled. He walked to the kitchen and was greeted by the site of Roger’s favorite coffee mug shattered on the floor. What was even more shocking was the fact his husband was…crying? Brian rushed towards him to give a comforting embrace. “Rog, did you get hurt? What happened, dear?” He started to ask but was pushed away forcefully. Brian stepped back almost losing his footing. He was a little hurt. Roger usually welcomed his hugs and he began to feel incredibly guilty like he had done something wrong. The blonde looked angry and upset which ripped through Brian’s heart. 

“I’m pregnant, you asshole!” Roger swore loudly. As soon as the words left his lips, he covered his mouth. He did not expect his special reveal to turn out this way. Brian blinked, processing the words. “The damn cup slid off the counter, I’ll never find another one like it!” Roger cried out. Brian would have laughed if he knew his husband wouldn’t rip off his private parts. 

“You just told me we are having a baby and you are worried about a damn cup?” Brian asked, stifling a laugh. There was never a dull moment. The blonde covered his mouth and let out a noise between a sob and a giggle. “You’re a bright one, aren’t you?” his husband continued, amused. 

“Sorry, Bri, I was really fond of that cup,” Roger replied, staring at the mess on the floor. His cheeks tinted a light shade of pink. 

“The cup should be the least of your worries,” Brian added, staring from the glass pieces on the floor to his pregnant husband. 

“We’re old, Bri,” Roger said, chewing his bottom lip. Brian crossed his arms and gave Roger a look. 

“Roger Meddows Taylor-May,” Brian used his parenting tone. “You said the exact thing when we found out we were expecting Romeo.” 

“We’ll both be on blood pressure medicine in a few years and we’ll have a toddler!” Roger said dramatically. “I already have back problems!” 

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose. “You need to calm down before we have worse problems,” he said. Brian felt instantly protective over his husband and his current mood couldn’t be healthy for their child. Roger looked at him with teary blue eyes and that was his undoing. Brian gathered him into his arms. Without protest, the blonde melted and shed a few happy tears into his husband’s shirt. 

“I thought I was just getting fat!” Roger tearfully exclaimed. His voice was muffled against the fabric. Brian couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping his lips. Roger whispered an incredibly naughty request in Brian’s ear, making the guitarist blush and gently tap his husband’s nose. 

Never a dull moment….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cut this chapter short because I was too excited to finally reveal a pregnant Roger. I'm contemplating a one shot of smut between Roger and Brian completing Roger's "naughty request" towards the end of this chapter. I feel like putting it in this fic doesn't flow with the story so it would be separate. What do you think? 
> 
> Next will be the other's reaction to Roger's news.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger reveals his news to the others. Melody has a conversation with Leo.

Melody was focused on reading when she heard the “I’m pregnant, you asshole!” being yelled from her papa. She knitted her eyebrows together and looked towards the kitchen as her parent’s voices became lower. Roger could be pulling Brian’s leg for all she knew but the crash that came from the kitchen was still concerning. She gave her parents a moment before she walked barefoot to the kitchen. Brian was sweeping up what looked like a coffee mug and Roger was talking to him softly. His eyes were red like he had been crying but his cheeks held a light pink color. 

“Are you okay?” Melody asked from the doorway. “I heard you yell.” Brian stopped sweeping and gave Roger a look that said, “are you going to tell her?” Roger fidgeted nervously. He was unaware Melody had been close by and now it was his job to explain. The girl looked adorably sleepy with her messy ponytail and long shirt with shorts underneath. 

“Don’t step in here barefoot, love. There’s glass all over the floor,” Brian continued sweeping, refusing to say a word about Roger’s news. 

“I thought I was clumsy,” Melody noted as she stared between her parents. She felt like she was expected to be told something. However, neither were giving in. “But at least I’m not pregnant,” she added and Roger almost fainted. She had Brian’s keen eye for detail. Roger looked from Brian to Melody. Melody was now crossing her arms with a small smile and Brian had his head rested on the broom handle staring intently at Roger. 

“Err, I just found out,” Roger mumbled softly and put a hand over his middle. Melody wasn’t exactly sure she heard him right, but if it was true, she felt happiness blossom in the pit of her stomach. 

“Are you?” she asked, looking directly at her papa. She was so happy her leg had started bouncing. She couldn’t rush over to him though, because of the glass on the floor. 

“I am, love,” Roger confirmed with wet blue eyes. Melody gasped and put a hand over her mouth. Her reaction was his undoing and when he walked towards her, he gently put her hand on his middle. “There’s going to be five of us.” Melody didn’t know if it was her own hormones or the exciting news, but she found herself in tears. That did it for Roger and he was crying too as he hugged her tightly. Brian cleaned up the mess and was lost at what to do with the two people he loved most happily sobbing into each other’s shoulders.

“I suppose we should tell the others?” Brian asked. They were all too excited to wait. It was soon, but he couldn’t torture Melody into holding onto the secret until they were ready. It was still early in the night, so they had time. Once he got confirmation from Roger, Brian had the task of rounding everyone else into the living room. 

John and Freddie sat next to each other on the couch. Quinn made herself comfortable on the floor. The twins sat next to their parents and Romeo found one of the armchairs. Melody was too excited to sit but perched herself on the arm of the couch. Her face had brightened up tremendously. Roger sat in the other arm chair with Brian standing next to him. 

“What is it darling?” Freddie asked from his spot. “I don’t want to miss my television show tonight and we have thirty minutes until it starts.” 

“It’s your turn to tell them,” Roger looked up at Brian. The guitarist rubbed his forehead. Roger had felt the need to get him back for making him expose their surprise to Melody. The last two pregnancies it had been Roger’s job to tell the news. The whole room was silent as everyone else stared at the couple. 

“Brian’s pregnant?” John blurted out resulting in laughs and confused looks from the others. Brian stifled a laugh while he rubbed his forehead. 

“Bri, how could you let that happen?” Freddie quipped from beside him. Roger lost it laughing at that. 

“You tell me, I’m having triplets,” Brian responded dryly. 

Freddie clutched his chest, “Oh dear!” 

“No, it’s not me,” Brian said pointedly, but smiled down at Roger with love in his eyes. “It’s Roger.” Everyone gasped and there were a few cheers as Roger confirmed it. 

“I already knew,” John scoffed, waving his hand. He had known Roger was going to have Romeo a week before he found out. From one male carrier to another, the bassist could just tell. 

“Congratulations, kitten!” Freddie called from his seat and raised his glass of water. Quinn was cheering while Leona still had her hand over her mouth. Leo just smiled. 

“Gross, you two still have sex?” Romeo responded from his seat. A look of disgust was on his face, but it couldn’t hide the smile on his lips. Brian blushed furiously and Roger’s face grew pinker. 

“Romeo Felix!”  
…  
Melody took the opportunity to use the jacuzzi tub that was in her parent’s bathroom. Her back was killing her, and the cramps were still mild despite the amount of pain killers she had taken. The warm jets and bubbles were heaven against her body. She was glad she could use it before Roger could hog it up. The radio was turned on in the window sill, giving her music to distract her from her thoughts. However, when “I Want to Break Free” aired she felt inclined to sing along. She had a pleasant voice that was angelic like Brian’s, but she was also self-conscious about it, so she rarely sang in front of her family. 

She nearly jumped out the tub when Freddie yelled outside her door, “Trying to outdo me?” He had gone into her parents’ room to retrieve something and happened to hear her singing. He dramatically sang along adding a few falsettos to prove some type of point.

“Never!” she yelled back and continued singing. 

The bath had left her incredibly relaxed and soon she found herself back at the beach to enjoy the sun. The water had left her skin cool, so the warmth felt nice. Melody sat in the beach chair content with her thoughts. Leo eventually found her. Her hair was still wet and fell passed her shoulders leaving wet spots on her t-shirt.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” he asked, as he planted himself on the sand next to her. Melody remembered she wasn’t on the best terms with him since the other day. She responded with a glare even though she felt a little bit guilty for yelling at him. 

“You were going to anyway,” she sighed, and stared out at the water. 

“I think we need to talk, Mel,” Leo said bluntly using her childhood nickname. She cut her blue eyes at him waiting for him to say what he needed. “I didn’t mean to say that in front of everyone else. I freaked out.” He began as he looked at the ground. It was either the sand or Melody’s long legs and he didn’t feel like being scolded again. 

“When we talk about stuff like that, I expect it to stay between us,” Melody glared. She felt her chest tighten in remorse. Her relationship with Leo had always gone well. She couldn’t remember ever being pissed at him before. 

“And I’m trying to say I’m sorry,” Leo reiterated, looking back at her with a mix of frustration and anger. His green eyes bore holes through her. However, he softened when Melody scoffed and looked back into the horizon. She was great at giving people the silent treatment. 

“I wasn’t feeling well, and I know you were worried. I…I just didn’t expect you to tell everyone else I felt suicidal,” Melody finally broke the silence but still refused to look at the boy next to her. “I don’t want to fight.” 

“I don’t either,” Leo said softly. She looked at him apologetically. The boy wasn’t wearing a shirt and years of tennis had made him toned. Melody wondered why he didn’t have a girlfriend yet. The stupid girls at school had always gravitated towards Romeo. Leo started drawing absentmindedly in the sand, not sure of what to say next. 

“You’ve been acting odd around me lately,” Melody pointed out and he froze. His finger was still dug into the sand. 

“Don’t turn this around on me,” Leo quipped and smiled nervously. Why did his smile make Melody’s stomach feel weird? 

“You’re the one who started this shit,” Melody responded bluntly. Leo’s face fell. “Why did you ask me to prom? I thought there would be someone else that you didn’t grow up with?”

“Would you rather me ask Romeo?” Leo said sarcastically. Melody raised her eyebrows. 

“Good point,” she mumbled. “But you still didn’t answer my question. So, why?” She shifted so she could wrap her arms around her knees. Leo felt his face heat up as he tried to find the words to say. 

“Melody,” he stammered, but her incredible blue eyes demanded he continue. He sighed and stared out at the water. His face was unreadable, and Melody wished she could read his mind at this point. “I love you, okay?” 

Melody knitted her eyebrows together and turned her head to the side. “Of course, you do, we are like cousins.” Leo felt a stab in his heart. She was that oblivious to his crush. 

“You don’t understand,” Leo rambled, avoiding eye contact. “I love you like you love Tyler.” Melody almost fell out of her chair. Then it all started to make sense. His nervousness around her, his concern, everything clicked in Melody’s mind and she felt worse by the second. She felt a fondness for him, but she never considered anything romantic. Maybe it was weird to her because they were family. They weren’t related by blood, but the whole situation was overwhelming and unexpected. Melody assumed it was something that would have stayed between Quinn and Romeo. Quinn would do anything to try to impress Melody’s brother. 

“Leo, I’m so sorry,” she found herself saying. If he had came to her first about prom she would have accepted, but she never thought of it as a date. She didn’t know what she felt for him and was at a loss of what to say. For once, she couldn’t give him any comfort. The conversation had turned awkward. 

“It’s fine, Mel, I understand,” Leo responded. His expression was unreadable, but she couldn’t imagine the torment he was feeling inside. “I won’t go to prom anyways, it’s pointless.” 

“Don’t stop yourself from going because I’m not going,” Melody urged him. She touched his arm when he refused to look at her and when he finally did, he looked like a kicked puppy. Melody felt her good mood dissolve. Leave it to her to ruin everything. “You deserve to have fun. Don’t let me take that from you.” 

“It wouldn’t be fun without you,” Leo said. Melody put her hand on his shoulder which was warm from the sun. 

“Then go for me, then,” she insisted, staring into his green eyes. She knitted her eyebrows again as she searched his face. “You have something on your cheek,” she said and wiped a speck of dirt away with her thumb. Her hand froze when she caught site of his lips. They were perfectly bow shaped. Melody shook herself from her thoughts and pulled her hand away. However, she couldn’t shake the undeniable gravitational pull she had towards him. Things always had to be complicated.  
…  
A week into the vacation, things started to go smoothly. The view of the beach never seemed to get tiring. Roger got frustrated a few times due to his mood swings. Brian kept hovering over him and at times wouldn’t let Roger pick up on something silly as a piece of paper off the ground. When the blonde craved beer of all things, Freddie didn’t bat an eye to making him an infinite amount of yeast rolls. The bright side was Roger was beginning to become spoiled. Quinn had never had the experience of watching someone go through pregnancy and it fascinated her. The drummer never objected to his middle being touched or rubbed unless he was in a grouchy mood. He was grateful everyone at least asked first. To his amusement Quinn tried to feel the baby move one day out of curiosity. 

“It’s too early to feel movement, honey,” Roger said, looking down at her as she rubbed his stomach. 

“How did it get in there, anyways? You don’t have a -,” she attempted to ask while gently pressing down, and Roger’s eyes widened. That was a conversation Freddie had yet to have with her. 

Roger cleared his throat. “I think your papa needs help with the laundry, Quinn!” His face had never flushed so hard in his life. Jesus Christ. 

Another slightly awkward moment was when he heard Melody rehearsing her song for school. Growing up with musicians, all the children had learned at least on or two. Rather or not they wanted to stick with it, Queen had left it up to them. When Melody sang her voice was filled with emotion as her fingers hit the piano keys gracefully. Roger was sobbing by the end of it and the poor girl became petrified. 

“I didn’t mean to Mel, it’s my hormones!” Roger cried into his daughter shoulder. She awkwardly patted his back and then made her papa a bowl of strawberry ice cream afterwards. 

Romeo on the other hand, was a bit weirded out. He always had a comment to make about his parents being old…and how could old people possibly still have sex? 

“How do you think you got here?” Roger had snapped one day. Romeo took a sip of water and gave him the signature look when he was about to give his parents some bullshit.  
“Because you didn’t swallow,” Romeo said without blinking. Roger proceeded to say every curse word known to man and then made the boy clean the house from top to bottom as punishment. It didn’t help Freddie cheered from the opposite corner of the room. He lived to see Romeo give Roger hellfire. 

John had basically become a mother every time Roger was pregnant. He didn’t object to his friend falling asleep in his lap and was more than happy to run his fingers through blonde hair. Roger was in heaven. When John found out he was having twins, Roger was a godsend with his own experience. The first time John felt crampy and ill; he drove himself crazy thinking something was wrong. Roger would always sooth and reassure him with every little thing. Affection wasn’t rare within the group and they all needed each other in different ways. 

Freddie was already clothes shopping for the unborn child. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he had every outfit planned up until five years old. When Roger insisted it was going to be another girl, Freddie became delighted. He also offered a sturdy shoulder to cry on when the drummer had melt downs even if was over ridiculous situations.  
“You’re okay, dear,” Freddie was saying for the thousandth time as Roger nearly cried himself sick into his chest. Brian had left the television on the nature channel and Roger had a front row seat of watching male penguins sit on eggs. The scene changed to elephant seals. “Oh look, darling, John is on tv.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was a bit short, but honestly I just wanted to rush to put an update out. Feedback and kudos is appreciated.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roger has a run in with hyperemesis. Freddie and Melody have a conversation.

Brian was over the moon about Roger’s surprise pregnancy. Roger blamed the birth control for failing but they had talked about it in the past and one more child would be a blessing. Brian accused Roger of being a naughty thing, but Brian was just as much at fault. Roger’s teasing and eye lash batting had always left him weak. So, if they nearly destroyed their own dresser with lust, it was worth it. With the increase in Roger’s hormones, Brian’s poor reading lamp had been knocked onto the floor. The little minx had cheekily grinded against him one night, resulting in a lustful growl and Brian tossing Roger onto the bed. 

The lamp ended up being the least of their worries because the next morning, Roger had never been so nauseated in his life. Brian immediately thought he had done something wrong with giving into their…urges. They had never had a problem with sex during pregnancy before, so Brian deemed it as a cruel trick of the universe. Roger took one of the pills for nausea he had gotten from his surprise doctor’s visit, but he vomited immediately afterwards. After finally being able to take one, the blonde thought he was back to normal until the smell of breakfast almost made him empty his stomach into the kitchen sink. John finally started fussing over the blonde and made him toast along with some crackers that were in the pantry. Roger ate what he could to please John, but it was no use before the poor thing was running to the bathroom five minutes later. 

Melody exchanged worried looks with Brian. Before Melody’s brain could spiral into worry, her father had to reassure her severe nausea and vomiting were common with some pregnancies. John had gone through something similar years ago and was put on bed rest along with medication. However, Roger wasn’t in the clear because John’s lack of experience and stubbornness had him hooked up to an intravenous line all night at the hospital. They needed to prevent a hospital stay. Roger came from the bathroom sweaty and pale, which did it for Brian. They had no choice but to seek medical attention. Melody refused to let them leave without sending Roger with a cup of peppermint tea. If he didn’t drink it, she was sure Brian would appreciate it while waiting on the doctors. Roger kissed his daughters head as a way of showing thanks, but it didn’t stop the pang of worry growing in Melody’s heart. It was expected to rain all day and was already pouring down outside. Brian would have to drive slowly.

“We’ll look after her, dears,” Freddie had whispered to the couple before they left. Brian nodded and lead Roger out by the door holding onto his arm firmly. He couldn’t risk the “poor darling” as Freddie would say, fainting. They ended up staying nearly all day in the emergency room.  
…  
Roger was diagnosed with hyperemesis. They had caught it early, so his fluids weren’t too low. The doctor prescribed him a stronger nausea medication and suggested bed rest along with light meals. If he didn’t get better in a few days, he would have to return. Like Brian had suspected, the condition was common and treatable. For some people, nausea lasted the entire pregnancy. He hoped it wouldn’t be the case with Roger. The blonde loved to eat when he was expecting. Roger didn’t want to upset Melody, so he rested on the couch that evening. Melody planted herself in an arm chair and would look up from her book with a worried glance. He felt awful but tried to reassure her the best he could. The new medication was doing wonders by then and he was able to keep down a smoothie with lots of strawberries made by John. 

“What are you writing?” Roger asked when he noticed the girl working on a pile of papers. “I thought you didn’t have any more school work.” 

“I’m applying for the community college,” Melody responded, setting her pen down. “I want to stay close to home and help out.” 

“Honey, you don’t have to do that,” Roger frowned. “We managed you and Romeo as newborns just fine.” Freddie cleared his throat from the other arm chair. “And with help from Freddie and John of course. You should focus on your education.” 

“I don’t want to be too far away from home,” Melody added. “It makes me anxious thinking about it.” 

“That’s interesting because I figured you would be tired of all of us,” Freddie quipped from his seat. He had been previously engaged in his television program. “We’ll keep the new little one and tell Romeo to live in a separate house.”

“He’d burn it down in eleven minutes,” Roger scoffed. “Might as well have Melody move out instead.” Melody gave him a look. “I’m just kidding.” His oldest was always the most well behaved, but when she got into arguments with Romeo about getting up so she could find the television remote it in the couch cushions was enough to make him tear out his golden locks. 

“Are you sure you two weren’t trying to replace one of your existing children?” Freddie teased. “It really makes me wonder, dear.” Melody’s hand froze and all the sudden she had lost interest in the essay she was writing. Freddie’s words went through her like a shock wave, even if he didn’t mean it. 

“I think I’m going to go to bed early,” she said, picking up her stuff and standing up. “I’m really tired.” Before the two men could say anything, she had gone upstairs. Freddie was unaware how much his words affected her. The room fell silent except for the sound of the television. 

Melody found herself in the bathroom for an unreasonable amount of time. All she did was let her thoughts spiral negatively. It wasn’t intentional and Freddie was never cruel, so why had it punched her in the gut so damn hard? She knew she was by no means the perfect child. With recent event, she started seeing herself as defective. It didn’t make sense for her parents to make a new child because there was something wrong with the one, they already had. Her thoughts however, told her otherwise. Melody ended up sitting on the bathroom floor with her arms wrapped around her legs. She was going to come out when she damn well felt like it.  
….  
Melody found herself unable to sleep that night. Her thoughts had spiraled at the conversation from earlier. She tried to watch television but was unable to distract herself long enough. She sat there with tears coming down her cheeks. They hadn’t meant it but given the recent events her anxiety told her otherwise. It hadn’t been long since her incident. Then right after, Roger received the news he was pregnant again. Something must be wrong with her. She knew she couldn’t help her brain chemistry. However, her parents still had the audacity to make another child. Everyone was pleased and Roger was getting more than enough attention to be able to gloat about it in the coming months. John feigned jealousy but he had good kids, right? 

“You’re up late, dear,” Freddie’s voice came from behind her, causing her to jump. She angrily wiped her tears away to try to hide the fact she was crying. She had been doing too much of that lately. 

“I couldn’t sleep,” Melody admitted, hoping her voice didn’t betray her true emotions. She had been stuck in her awful thoughts for what seemed like hours. Nothing got passed their Freddie though. He knew she was isolating herself again and that her tiredness was a lie. He brought an extra soft blanket with him downstairs for the girl and planned on making tea if needed. Late night talks were in some cases required. Freddie sat next to her still in his silk robes. He spread the blanket over their laps. 

“I can tell you are upset,” he started, looking at her intently. “What’s on your mind? Did Leo do something? Romeo? Me?” Melody looked away unwilling to talk about whatever was bothering her. He grabbed her hand. “What is it, dear?” Melody shook her head. She felt a few emotions dealing with anger and hurt. Freddie frowned. “Stubborn, are we?” He pressed. He started to get up to make the tea he wanted, but Melody’s voice stopped him. 

“Am I defective?” she asked brokenly. Freddie blinked, processing her words. 

“What do you mean?” Freddie asked. His worry for his godchild grew. She made a sound between a sob and a sigh. 

“Am I…am I really being replaced because of what I did?” Melody asked. She was crying openly now. Her shoulders shook from the sobs. “He’s having another child because there’s something wrong with me, right? You two were talking about moving one of us out!” Freddie recalled the conversation he had earlier with Roger and guilt filled his chest.

“Oh, Melody,” Freddie cooed, pulling her close so she could rest her head on his shoulder. “Absolutely not. We could never replace you!” The girl wrapped her arms around her middle and cried into his neck. Freddie did his best to comfort her, rubbing her back and arms. “I apologize. You know I’m a tease. I never meant to hurt your feelings.” Freddie was glad he was the one that had came across her being upset. If Brian, or god forbid Roger had found her, they would be sulking for weeks. 

“I feel bad every day for putting you all through this,” Melody said into his shoulder. She had finally collected herself, but she still felt down. “I thought I was being punished for…for being suicidal.” 

“Your mind can be a dark place to stay in,” Freddie replied, playing with her dark hair. “But we’ll always be here, love. You’re never a burden.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with the pad of his thumbs like he had done many times before. “You’re resilient, just like your papa. You know, he was assaulted when he was pregnant with you?” Freddie inwardly cringed at the memory that happened so long ago. 

“He what?” Melody asked, picking her head up. Freddie frowned and nodded. 

“It could have been way worse than it was,” Freddie continued. “But he fought back. He did everything in his power to protect you.” He tapped Melody’s nose with his index finger for emphasis. “Don’t tell him I told you. It’s his story to tell, not mine.” 

“I didn’t know that,” Melody whispered. 

“He got away with cuts and bruises, but the other bastard was shredded with a broken bottle,” Freddie recalled. “It wasn’t our first near heart attack. I knew with having children, we would have many more. You are human, Melody, but you are also strong. And irreplaceable,” Freddie winked to lighten the mood. “Don’t bury yourself in that head of yours.” Melody finally smiled, and it made Freddie feel like he had accomplished something. She rested her head back on his warm shoulder and stayed there. Freddie could never refuse a cuddle if one of the children needed it. 

“Can Romeo at least move out?” she asked. “We can buy him a tent and put it in the yard. He can’t do much damage with that.” 

“Darling, he would find a way,” Freddie quipped. 

“What about Leo?” 

Freddie put his hand on his chest, feigning insult. He said nothing though about the looks the two gave each other from across the room. Leo being smitten by Melody and Melody being…. confused.

“We’ll put a food bowl out for him and let him inside in the morning like the cats,” Freddie responded. Melody stifled a laugh. “Anyways darling, I was going to make tea and then you need to be going to bed soon. We were talking about going shopping tomorrow. Quinn can help you pick out a dress.” 

“For what?” Melody asked, flicking through the television channels. 

“We talked it over, and your parents said you can go to prom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm getting repetitive with this story, but Melody got her prom privileges back and then soon we get to see how her final project goes.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody finally chooses a dress for prom and a few cathartic conversations take place.

Melody had the pleasure of sleeping in since her late-night talk with Freddie. She felt significantly better after resting but wasn’t sure she was prepared to go dress shopping with everyone else. John and Freddie had decided to take the kids while Roger was still on bed rest. That meant Brian was staying home alone with his husband and the couple felt a bit relieved. As they were walking out the door, Roger was enjoying a much-needed cuddle with Brian on the couch. Romeo caught site of it and made a face. 

“I can never look at that couch the same after today,” Romeo frowned. 

“What’s wrong, dear?” Freddie asked as he was braiding Quinn’s hair. 

“My parents,” Romeo answered. Freddie glanced at the couch and smirked. Leaving those two idiots alone made it highly possible for “naughty activity”. Freddie bit back his comment about him and John already claiming the couch many times before in many different positions for Quinn’s sake. 

Melody was distracted by worrying over Roger. The medicine had been working wonderfully which was great news. However, he was still older and at a higher risk. She had been kind enough to make her parents a light lunch and for a second, they wondered exactly who the adult was. John had to take her gently by the arm and get her out the door or they would have never left. 

“Please don’t ruin the couch,” Romeo told Roger as they were leaving. Roger looked at Brian, and Brian knew Roger was going to take the opportunity to get their son back for the swallowing comment he made days ago. 

“I don’t know Bri,” Roger winked at his husband. “Romeo does have a decently sized bed.” Romeo left the house gagging and severely disturbed. All Brian could do was silently sip his tea. Romeo had asked for that one. 

The first shop they tried; Freddie was more than happy to help the girls choose dresses. Quinn was still too young, but her advice was needed. John had taken the boys to the men’s section. Melody browsed the different colors and styles. She didn’t like standing out, but this was senior prom. Everyone was trying to impress one another. She narrowed her choices down between a red and a blue dress. Her incredibly long legs were perfect for the longer lengths of fabric. The first one she tried on was red and sleeveless with a silver jeweled band around the waste. It was nice, but Freddie pressed her on trying the navy blue one he insisted would look gorgeous on her. He was Freddie fucking Mercury, he could tell an item looked fabulous on someone before they even tried it on. 

The navy-blue dress had a deep V-neck and the fabric was smooth. The fabric fell about an inch above the floor courtesy of Melody’s height. She was in love with it. When she came out the dressing room to get Freddie and Quinn’s opinion, she was surprised everyone else was there. Freddie and Quinn both gushed and repeated a million times about how she must go with this dress. John was smiling along with Leo. Romeo was even impressed. When Leona came out of her dressing room because hers didn’t fit, she stopped and had to double take to confirm what she was looking at. The only down side was it was size too big, and she had to use bobby pins to help hold the straps up. It wasn’t anything alterations couldn’t fix. 

Shopping for prom took most of the day before everyone was finished. Leona had chosen a nice gray dress that suited her well and the boys went with traditional tuxedos. They were all starving afterwards and went out to dinner at the end of the night. Freddie made sure to put in an order for Roger’s favorite sushi. The blonde had been craving it for the passed few days, but his stomach kept protesting. If Freddie had forgotten, the man would have killed him. 

Melody was glad to come back to the beach house, and Romeo was relieved the couch was still in one piece. However, he still refused to sit on it. 

“How did dress shopping go?” Roger asked Melody as they all sat out under the stars. Freddie had insisted on getting ice-cream on the way back. Roger had the pleasure of downing a strawberry shake with extra strawberry. 

“I think it went well,” Melody said as she finished her bowl. “My dress is a size too big, so we’ll have to get it altered.” 

“Yea, she doesn’t have enough boobs to fill it out,” Romeo quipped from beside her. She elbowed him sharply in the ribs. 

“Why the hell are you looking?” Melody scowled before Roger could protest. 

“I mean, Leo was staring too. He always does. Especially at the beach,” Romeo smirked and gave his ice-cream cone a lick. Melody felt her cheeks grow pink. She was about to kick her brother’s ass. 

“Anyways,” Roger continued. He really didn’t want to hear about who and who wasn’t looking at his daughters…. chest. “We’ll get it altered. I’m sure what you picked out is lovely.” 

“Have you been feeling better?” Melody put her hand on top of her papa’s as her brows furrowed with worry. Between her and John, Roger felt like he was going to go insane with the constant questioning. He was secretly loving the extra attention though. 

“A lot better, love. You don’t need to worry about me,” Roger tried to sooth her. 

“Hey Melody,” Romeo said, “if I ever get pregnant will you ever worry about me that much?” 

Melody frowned. She was so done with his shit today. “I don’t think you could bribe anyone to go anywhere near your-.”

“Romeo one more word out of you and I’m throwing you in the water with the sharks!” Roger threatened. 

“I don’t know, Tyler is pretty cute. I could carry his baby,” Romeo ignored him. 

“Too late, I’m already pregnant,” Melody blurted out, not realizing Roger was still right beside her. An awkward silence fell between all three of them. Roger was pretty sure his heart had stopped but remembered the girl’s PMS about a week ago. Romeo’s eyes grew big. “I’m kidding,” she sighed. 

Jesus fucking Christ.   
….  
The next day continued to be stormy so they were all stuck inside finding something to do. Quinn had the pleasure of dragging Melody into her room to practice with makeup for prom. 

“We’ll have to touch up your hair before your roots show too much,” Quinn fussed as she brushed Melody’s curls into a French braid. “You didn’t think I would miss that box of hair dye, did you?”

Melody rolled her eyes. “You convinced me to get a piercing, so I guess that makes us even.” She twirled a loose strand of black hair between her fingers. “I don’t miss being blonde for now.” Her statement wasn’t a lie, but she knew it would be a while a lot of highlights later before her natural color would be back. 

“Do you know how many women would kill to have your natural color?” Quinn asked as she continued braiding. “I would die before I put bleach near my hair.” 

“Too many,” Melody mumbled. 

When she was finally free, she found the house to be unnaturally quiet. The rain had put Romeo to sleep and the twins were quietly playing a game of cards. Freddie and John had decided to sleep in. They were up the night before drinking. Brian was in his typical spot reading a book and Roger was nowhere to be found. 

A sniffling noise answered her question as she walked by her bedroom. She was used to Roger’s hormones being all over the place. Poor Melody had to witness a meltdown the day before when he was watching a particularly sad movie that sent his emotions into overdrive. A hug and cuddle from Brian though had fortunately stopped it. 

“What’s wrong?” Melody asked, jolting the drummer out of his thoughts. “Did you drop your sushi again?” Roger turned around and it took him a second to take in Melody’s hair and makeup. She was stunning and the familiar pang in his heart presented itself about her growing up so quickly. Brian had definitely done a good job the first time getting him pregnant. Romeo was beautiful too in his own way, but he was still young. He wouldn’t be headed to college in the fall. 

“I just got stuck in my thoughts,” Roger replied, wiping his eyes. Although it had been a few weeks since they had found his girl unresponsive, he was scarred from it. Finding her like that was a parent’s worst nightmare. Melody gave him a questioning look like she didn’t know if she should hug him or let him go about his day. “I still think about that night a lot. I try not to bring it up, but you terrified me.” He watched Melody’s expression change to guilt. Her attacks were becoming less frequent, but they were still there. When he held her in the hospital after her overdose, he had prayed it wouldn’t be the last time. Thank god John had found her when he did. 

“I know,” Melody mumbled, looking at the floor. Roger sat on the bed hoping it would calm him down some. 

“It’s not your fault, Mels,” Roger said, running his hand over the blanket. “You’re still here with us and I have no idea what I would have done if you hadn’t pulled through.” 

“I wasn’t alone though,” Melody added. She wanted to move to sit next to her papa, but her feet wouldn’t budge. “Anyone else would have abandoned me.” 

“Don’t say that,” Roger softly scolded. Melody felt another surge of guilt as she remembered confiding her feelings of being suicidal to Leo and Tyler. She had never told her parents. It would have broken them. 

“But they would have,” Melody insisted. She started to feel extremely vulnerable. “Who else would want a depressed, defective teenager?” She covered her mouth after blurting the last sentence out. Roger stared at her with wide blue eyes. 

“Melody Rose!” Roger stood up. He wasn’t angry at her, but she flinched as if she felt he was. His expression immediately softened even if her words almost broke him. He could feel tears burning behind his eyes but felt too exhausted to cry. She looked back at him with wet eyes and picked up on her feeling ashamed. Roger would have died if it meant taking her pain away. 

“I mean, that’s what everyone else thinks of me, right?” Melody asked brokenly and that’s all it took for her papa to embrace her tightly. 

“No,” Roger objected into her hair. “They think the complete opposite, honey. You’re wonderful. Everyone has their faults.” Melody felt her tears escape, and it felt cathartic to let them out. She recalled her conversation with Freddie the night before. 

Don’t get lost in that head of yours.

“I don’t feel like I’m wonderful,” Melody said into his shirt. “I don’t even want to tell you the things I let slip to Leo. I would be in a psychiatric clinic if he ever told anyone else.” 

Roger held her tighter. Her words had him curious, but he felt like they both weren’t mentally prepared for her to tell him. If Brian had been in the room, it probably would be much easier for her to open up about it. Brian was a natural at keeping things grounded with his gentle personality. Maybe it was a conversation for later, because Roger would do anything to get to the bottom of things. 

“You’re the strongest person I know, Melody,” Roger kissed her hair. “We’ll always be here for you. You’re human just like everyone else.” The girl held tight to her papa, until her stomach unceremoniously growled. “And you’re hungry,” Roger chuckled. She frowned into his shoulder as he slowly released her. She was enjoying the cuddle. 

“Take out sounds nice, actually,” she admitted shyly. Roger moved a strand of her hair behind her ear and took a moment to take in the image of her. Melody had grown up to be stunning, but with her Taylor genes it wasn’t a surprise. Brian had a part in it too, but the blonde insisted it was mostly from his side of the family. Her intelligence and height came from the guitarist, and that was all the credit he was getting. 

Melody was clingy for the rest of the day. She shadowed Roger. He didn’t mind since his hormones were driving him and everyone else in the house insane. He also wasn’t feeling one hundred percent. It was all normal things that came with pregnancy, so when someone showed him affection he melted. Romeo was still Romeo, but he became more observant. When the food finally came, Roger had ordered extra for the household. Melody, being Melody, offered to pay for it with her allowance money. 

I got it,” Melody offered, while the driver watched them awkwardly bicker about who was going to pay. 

“Melody Rose,” Roger warned playfully, “you know better than to pay the bill.” 

“I can at least tip!” Melody quipped, and he nearly fainted when she handed the driver a generous amount. She was truly too pure for the world. 

As the evening progressed, Roger found himself passed out in a food coma with his head in Melody’s lap. He felt guilty because he knew the girl hadn’t moved and there was no telling how long he had slept. Brian was appreciative of Melody’s knew mothering role over Roger. He almost felt jealous their daughter was stealing the comforting and cuddles. Brian had figured out why she insisted staying so close to home while in college. He couldn’t have been prouder and had to make sure he told her at some point. Brian felt like there was a silent competition between Melody and John over who could take care of Roger the most. When he saw her getting bored with the television and unwilling to wake the sleeping Roger in her lap, he slipped her a book and some tea. 

Romeo had been passing through the room and saw the two on the couch. He rolled his eyes, but not without giving his papa a worried look. Male pregnancy kind of still freaked him out and Roger wasn’t as young as he was almost twenty years ago. He was used to Melody being the “good child” but made a mental note to be at least a little bit less of a shit. Brian caught Romeo staring like he expected the world to end. He squeezed the boy’s shoulder as he brushed passed. Roger had told him about Romeo being terrified for Melody and was ready to be there when Romeo needed him. Brian was even more surprised when Romeo came to him that night with questions about male carriers. The poor thing was left pale after all the details, and Brian was afraid for a second Romeo would literally faint.

However, if it made their son feel better, the conversation was worth it. Romeo also took the opportunity to open up about his feelings and concerns for Melody. She would murder him later, but he confided to Brian about what happened at the beach the day she got mad at Leo for thinking she wanted to drown. Brian saw the proud façade Romeo had inherited from Roger break for the entire conversation. He found himself relieved the kid was allowing himself to feel pain, because sometimes it was needed to heal. Romeo wouldn’t have the conversation unless Brian absolutely promised to never tell Roger. He didn’t need more stress right now with his condition. By the end of the conversation, Brian found himself with another clingy child and honestly, he had missed it. 

By the time Roger and Brian finally made it to their own bed, they were filled with thoughts of the best parts of being a parent. Roger curled up to his husband like a spoiled cat and enjoyed the body heat of his partner. They were both definitely counting their blessings.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mild content warning: brief mentions of suicide 
> 
> The kids return to school. Brian has a serious talk with Melody. Prom night starts to unfold.

Unfortunately, spring break came to an end and it was back to everyone’s regular schedule. Roger immediately made an appointment with his obstetrician for an ultrasound and more blood work. John and Freddie came along like they had for the previous pregnancies. They were both just as excited for the newest little one. Roger made a bet with John that he wouldn’t cry. However, they both lost because the moment the imaging machine showed the smallest dot of the baby, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room except for the technician. His blood work and tests came back perfect. He was afraid the hyperemesis had caused damage, but for now he was cleared off bed rest if his nausea was under control. John still refused to allow him to lift a finger. Between John, Melody, and Brian, Roger became spoiled. Roger almost fainted one day when he came in the kitchen to see Romeo doing dishes and making sure the room was spotless. He even got the tablecloth in the exact position Brian preferred it. Maybe the boy did pay attention. 

During the next few weeks, Roger’s middle grew into a small baby bump. He was twelve weeks along. His child had decided to announce itself when it was ready. As for the gender, he had the exact same instinct he had with his first pregnancy. With Romeo, he had a feeling he was going to be a girl, but it wasn’t as strong as when he was pregnant with Melody. This time around though, he just knew. Brian had done some reading about mothers having a strange instinct on gender. It fascinated the biologist inside of Roger. However, this time he was more careful of giving away what he thought their child was going to be. The boys would just have to wait for that special appointment. 

The symptom he had missed the most while pregnant was the higher sex drive and sensitivity down there. Poor Brian was being pounced any chance Roger had. Their kids went to school five days a week, which meant five mornings Roger could be as loud as he wanted. Roger seriously hoped Brian’s dick couldn’t break off, because if so, Roger would be devastated. Brian didn’t mind at all, of course. They had always been active after Melody was born but a second child and touring had slowed it down. With a third on the way, Brian decided he might as well enjoy it while he can. 

On Melody’s part, she was still doing well. Her parents were involved enough without becoming overbearing. She came to them many times before they had to intervene, so a nice balance was in place. Melody was starting to make peace with accepting it took time to heal. Her panic attacks were still there and every time there was someone waiting for her to run into their arms. Her relationship with Tyler had grown. The two had been spending a lot of time together once Melody told him she was going to prom. Brian and Roger allowed her to go out on dates occasionally, and she came home obediently at the time they expected her to. Her parents caught glimpses of the boy, but their lives were so busy they didn’t get a chance to formally meet. Melody had promised they could meet him when he picked her up for prom in a few weeks. 

The situation with Leo was still proving to be awkward. He saw how serious the relationship with Tyler was, so he distanced himself. However, that didn’t stop the worried glances he got from his parents when Melody left to go on dates. Leo would sulk but would try anything to distract the pining thoughts about his best friend. Prom was going to be difficult. He decided he was going to make the best of it though and attempt to have fun. Leona knew everything about her twin and would try to help with dragging him outside to play tennis. 

…  
Brian was going out of his mind with worry since Romeo had confided him in the events that happened over spring break. Melody picked up on his troubled expression one day and it ended up being the breaking point. If she was still having thoughts about harming herself, it was nowhere near okay. The girl had terrified them enough and if she were to attempt something awful again poor Roger would never recover from it. Brian sat Melody down and they had an honest conversation. This could not be let go. 

“I don’t want to be overbearing, Melody,” Brian admitted as they sat in the kitchen. She wasn’t in trouble, but his serious tone had her attention. 

“I do feel like I meant it, but I was in horrible head space,” Melody said. Her eyes had already grown wet. She hated knowing she hurt people. Brian put his hand gently on her arm.

“You’re not in trouble,” Brian reiterated. “I just want you to think about how your actions affect other people. I don’t want you to think for a second if the worst happened, no one would be upset. Suicide is final. There’s no coming back from it. We can have more children, but there will never be another Melody. You understand that, right?” 

Melody chewed her bottom lip. Brian felt an ounce of disappointment but counted the number of times he had been in Melody’s shoes. The death of his father had taken that kind of toll on him years ago. It was to the point he privately sought out a therapist and medication. Roger knew of Brian’s struggles of course and was there every step of the way. It was their turn to do the same with Melody. 

“Melody, I know you can’t look me in the eyes and tell me I wouldn’t be shattered if that were to happen to you. I want to plan your wedding, not your funeral,” Brian continued. “You already see a therapist after being in the hospital. I don’t want to force my hand, but if you need it there’s a clinic-.” 

“I’m sorry, okay,” Melody interrupted him. “I don’t want to go to a psychiatric clinic when I’m needed here. You promised I didn’t have to go away!” She was trying hard but failing at keeping her tears away. Brian felt guilty for putting her on the spot, but he was her parent before other things. 

“So, you admit you are needed here?” Brian inquired. Melody nodded when words failed her. “I want you to always remember that.” The poor thing was shaking at this point, but she understood the tough love was needed. Brian wrapped her in his arms and let her stay there if she needed it. Afterwards, he let her help him cook dinner. He was relieved when she started smiling more and he hoped to god he had gotten through to her. 

….  
Prom night approached quickly, and the house became chaotic. Freddie insisted he wanted pictures of everyone, so there was pressure to get everyone ready. Melody’s navy-blue dress had been altered perfectly. When she came into the living room, she wasn’t surprised at all when Roger and Freddie literally cried. John had gifted both Leona and Melody with stunning necklaces. While he was adjusting Leona’s, he turned to see Melody looking like royalty. She was indeed part of Queen. John’s smile was priceless, and he thought both girls looked gorgeous. He moved to put Melody’s necklace around her neck, but Roger stopped him. 

“I want to do it,” Roger insisted tearfully. 

Melody stood patiently as her papa clasped the necklace around her neck. Even Romeo was a bit speechless. His own Taylor genes had come through and he looked handsome in his outfit. His short hair looked perfectly soft and the sunflowers in his irises stood out. Romeo hadn’t found a date but was likely to flirt his way into dancing with a few people.

It was also no surprise Leo’s jaw had almost hit the floor. Freddie was fussing over his hair, but Leo’s doe eyed gentle look could at least give him one or two dances. His deep brown eyes held the same warmth and beauty as Freddie’s. Both the twins had inherited his long eye lashes.

Leona’s date was a girl with brown hair and soft blonde highlights. She had showed up just as everything was finalized in a deep red dress. The girl introduced herself as Sara and told Freddie and John she had been great friends with Leona all throughout high school. They weren’t officially dating yet, but the two were fond of each other. Fortunately, the school had no rules against same sex dates and if they had, Freddie would have marched up there with something to say. 

Melody was beginning to grow nervous until there was a knock at the door. Tyler stood in front of her holding a bouquet of flowers and holding another one behind his back. Melody hadn’t mentioned her parents were a gay couple. However, she had brought up the topic and Tyler didn’t pass any judgement when it came to it. She was more than relieved but had no idea how he would feel about meeting two fathers instead of one. 

“These are beautiful,” Melody thanked him, as she took the flowers. 

“I have another one for your mother,” Tyler added, revealing another smaller bouquet of pink roses. 

Oh, dear god. 

Melody stifled a laugh and allowed him inside. This was definitely going to be interesting. Everyone fell quiet as Tyler entered the room. They had heard so much about him but had never met. Tyler shyly waved to everyone as he approached Melody’s parents who were standing side by side. At this point in Roger’s pregnancy, someone couldn’t tell he was a male carrier unless they asked. However, his feminine features confused Tyler. He boldly stood in front of Roger and held out the roses. 

“This is for you, miss Taylor-May,” Tyler offered, and the room fell silent. Melody’s eyes grew wide. 

Miss?

Freddie and Romeo were already starting to lose it laughing. Roger’s look was in between wanting to set the bouquet on fire or feeling flattered about his soft features. He looked at Melody in shock and felt utter betrayal when the girl went into a fit of laughter. Tyler was still standing with the bouquet held out in front of him, confused about why he wasn’t taking it. 

“Oh, these are lovely,” Brian said nonchalantly as he took the flowers. He received a murderous look from Roger. 

Quinn had overseen putting out treats for her sibling’s and cousin’s dates. She walked out the kitchen just in time to see the whole thing unfold. Even she thought the situation was golden. She would have to ask Freddie why he hadn’t taken a picture of Roger’s face. 

It took a gently nudge from Brian for Roger to finally speak. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Tyler, but I’m her papa,” Roger said as calmly as possible. The blonde was either going to sulk or boast about the weird compliment. He hadn’t decided which one. 

“Oh,” Tyler said. His eyes widened. “Melody didn’t really say….err…. well, you look lovely,” he stammered. 

Melody face palmed while Romeo and Freddie fell to the floor laughing. Her papa looked like he was about to cry. 

“Thank you,” was all Roger could say. Brian and John were already starting to laugh. They weren’t going to hear the end of it after everyone left. 

“Well darlings,” Freddie clasped his hands. “We need to get pictures before the weather becomes terrible. It’s supposed to storm tonight.” One look at Roger and he had to try his damnedest not to go into another laughing fit. The drummer was looking down and staring a hole into the floor. Brian had put a comforting hand on his husband’s back.

Tyler was able to shake the awkwardness of the situation off, but not without thinking Roger might murder him later. Miss Taylor-May? Papa? How was he supposed to know otherwise? 

They all took pictures until the camera ran out of film. Freddie insisted he had more, but time was starting to run out. Melody had to check on her papa and apologize for not explaining their family dynamic to Tyler. Roger waved it off. He should have been used to people confusing him for a woman. He hugged Melody tightly. It wasn’t her fault. 

“You be careful, okay?” Melody fussed over Roger and all thoughts of the previous incident melted away when she put her hand on his growing middle. “No doing dishes or picking up on the laundry basket.” 

Roger scoffed. “Who’s really the parent here?” 

“Mels, we need to go! It’s about to rain!” Romeo called from the front door. 

“Don’t let him drive,” Roger warned before kissing the top of Melody’s hair. 

“And come back in one piece,” Brian added from the doorway. Melody ran to Brian, breaking Roger’s heart a little, and kissed his cheek. When everyone was out the door the two men could finally breathe. 

“Damn kids,” Roger cursed. Brian looked at him and shrugged innocently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still laughing about Roger at the end of this one lmao


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids go to prom. Melody is left with interesting thoughts by the end of it.

Despite the rain, prom had been going well. The group tried to stay together, especially since Leo would be driving them all home. Romeo disappeared two minutes after they set foot in the door. Melody prayed he wouldn’t get into any trouble. The last thing she needed was trying to explain to Roger how Romeo got into some alcoholic fruit punch. While dancing with Tyler, she saw a glimpse of her brother being the usual flirt that he always was. More surprisingly, it was another boy in his grade. Melody always knew he would go after both genders. Romeo attracted both, so why not?

Tyler was an absolute gentleman the entire time. They took pictures to please their parents and ate some of the snacks provided by the school. After a particularly slow dance, Melody happened to look up from where her head was rested on Tyler’s shoulder. She saw Leo sitting down by himself with a cup in his hand. Guilt surged inside her stomach. She thought maybe someone would have asked him to dance but knowing Leo he would have refused. Tyler tapped her shoulder gently causing her to look up at him. He leaned down for a gentle kiss and Melody found themselves smiling as they did it. When Tyler pulled away, he expected her to be grinning beautifully back at him. Her dress was stunning on her and he had no idea how he became lucky enough to meet her in the first place. However, she was frowning and looking at someone far across the room. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Tyler asked, leaning in so she could hear him over the blaring music. 

“Oh, no,” Melody responded. Her eyes searched his face like she was contemplating asking him something. “Leo went by himself and he looks lonely just sitting by himself while everyone else dances.” She didn’t even want to know where Romeo ended up. 

Tyler grinned at her. “You want to ask him, don’t you?” He slowly released her from his arms. 

“Huh?” Melody asked, finding herself blushing. She was still holding onto Tyler’s hands. The thought of dancing with someone else felt weird. 

“Don’t let him just sit there, Mels,” Tyler encouraged. “I know you two grew up together, it’s okay.” Melody nodded as she released her hold of Tyler. “I’m going to get more food.” He said before he left her standing awkwardly on the dance floor. Melody could see Leo sitting from where she was, but her feet wouldn’t move. Finally, she summoned up the courage to walk over to him. Why it seemed like such a big deal, she didn’t know. 

“Leo,” she greeted him. The boy looked back at her with shy brown eyes and for a second her heart skipped a beat. She ignored the feeling and shifted her balance to her other foot. “You look bored.” 

“I couldn’t bring myself to ask someone else to dance with me,” Leo explained. “I don’t do well with strangers.” 

“I’m not a stranger,” Melody added. She found herself smiling dumbly and Leo smiled back. 

“What are you getting at?” Leo asked her. He rested his head on his hand, looking thoughtful. Melody almost melted. 

“I mean, do you want to dance?” Melody said softer than she wanted to. All the sudden it was like her voice had abandoned her. Leo had been causing her to act weird lately, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. Leo stood up and took her hand. 

“No, never,” he responded cheekily. 

With Melody’s luck, the song they had chosen was another soft one and everyone was practically hugging onto their dates as they danced. Leo had gently guided her to their own spot. She put her arms around his neck, and he rested his safely on her hips. Leo was nervous at first, but the girl didn’t object to it. So, he took it as a good sign. 

When Melody found herself relax enough, she rested her chin on Leo’s shoulder. He was warm and she felt like she could stay there for a considerable amount of time. She had no trouble following his lead. His hands also never wondered too low. When she pulled away when the song changed to ask him something, she was compelled to look at his lips again. Leo caught on and looked at her with what could only be explained as puppy love. Melody leaned in and barely brushed her lips with his before she got nervous and hugged him tight again. Her face burned with embarrassment and at least if Tyler asked what happened she could make up an excuse that Leo couldn’t hear her over the music.

“Sorry about that,” Melody blushed when the song ended, and the lights turned back on. She started to wonder if it was the last song.

“You don’t need to explain,” Leo told her. “I wouldn’t have minded.” They both blushed until she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Leona looking at them. Thank god she made no comment about them dancing. 

“Prom is almost over but we aren’t allowed to leave, because there’s a tornado warning,” Leona explained. It had been raining hard and Melody had to grip Tyler firmly a few times when she heard thunder. 

“A tornado?” Melody asked. Her maternal instincts started to come on. “Where’s Romeo?” 

“Don’t worry, I found him kissing another boy in the hallway,” Leona rolled her eyes. “At least he’s not high.” 

“So, we can’t leave until the weather calms down, right?” Leo inquired. Melody exchanged worried glances with him. Leona nodded. “We might need to call home.”  
….  
After a ten-minute conversation with an anxious Roger and Brian, Melody settled down with the rest of the group. Tyler was going to drive himself home while Melody rode with her cousins and brother. Romeo had finally returned from god knows where. His sister seriously doubted he had done much dancing that night. However, they had all found themselves tired and curled up on the floor with the group. Melody’s head was rested comfortably on Romeo’s arm and Tyler was using her legs as a backrest. The rain was still pouring down on the roof and the windows kept getting slammed with it when a harsh gust blew. 

Leo and Leona were close by enjoying a deep conversation. Every few moments, Leo would spot Melody looking over at him. She looked uneasy. She was never a fan of bad weather. Leo felt better and a bit jealous when Tyler took off his jacket and draped it around Melody’s shoulders. Everyone was starting to get tired. Even Romeo looked two seconds away from drifting off. It was already well passed midnight and they were stuck inside the school. When a loud crash of thunder shook the walls, Melody jumped, and Tyler moved to comfort her. Romeo felt his stomach drop. 

“Are they seriously going to keep us here all night?” Melody asked as Tyler put his arm around her shoulder. She was sitting up now and was pulling the jacket tighter around her body. 

“Unless you want me to drive in this, yea,” Romeo quipped. 

“I don’t think so,” Melody objected. Her brother shrugged and continued to lay back. He closed his eyes. He was just as ready to go as everyone else. 

Finally, the rain slacked off and the students were free to go. Tyler and Melody said their goodbyes. Leona wondered off to tell her date they were leaving. She was the only one awake enough to drive. Romeo insisted on sitting in the front so he could control the radio. It left Melody and Leo in the back seat. Melody thought back to her dance with Leo and honestly it wasn’t unpleasant. She still felt guilty from her natural reaction to him looking at her like he was infatuated. Tyler was great, but she had known Leo her whole life. She remembered their time on the beach and how Leo’s sun kissed chest had caught her attention. He was definitely on the handsome side and he was gentle. His deep brown eyes were always her favorite trait about him. She couldn’t help but to continue to carry fondness for him. Lately, it seemed like it was trying to turn into something else she would have never expected. Maybe it was just a small crush, or maybe it was love. She was too tired to figure it out. 

Leo had fallen asleep in the car with his head rested against the window. Melody continued to stare at him hoping no one would notice. If Romeo had turned around from his seat, he would have a field day. Leo’s slumber looked restless and proved it as his body jumped slightly. Melody’s empathic nature got the best of her. She moved quietly enough not to unbuckle her seatbelt. Her hand moved his hair behind his ear in a maternal gesture. She then lightly pecked his cheek. 

“I saw that,” Leona said from the driver’s seat. 

She looked at Melody intently from the rearview mirror. Romeo had already lost his battle and was snoring softly. Melody felt her cheeks heat up, but Leona gave her a gentle smile and continued to focus on the road. 

When they finally made it home after what felt like an eternity, Leo woke up as they pulled into the driveway. They were all spending the night at Freddie’s and John’s house so Roger could rest. The poor thing had an eventful evening with a house filled with teenagers and Tyler sweetly mistaking him as Melody’s mother. Roger came out of it with a complex. 

Leona had to shake Romeo out of being dead to the world. He was so out of it; he was mumbling some nonsense about grapes. She figured he had been so distracted by doing god knows what and had forgotten to eat at the event. 

Freddie and John were enjoying a sweet cuddle on the couch when the front door opened. John had dozed off an hour ago and Freddie didn’t have the heart to move. The two were so affectionate, they made the others sick. Melody and Leo were the last to walk up the driveway. Leo stumbled over his feet and out of reflex, Melody caught his arm.  
“Are you okay?” Melody asked him. 

“I’m fine, Mels, just exhausted. The rain didn’t help at all,” Leo said tiredly. They linked arms like they used to as kids and walked inside. They both got a few odd stares from the others but were too sleepy to comment. 

Leo, Leona, and Romeo went to their rooms. However, Melody was still felt somewhat awake. She couldn’t sleep just yet with her thoughts filled with her childhood best friend. She went upstairs to get out of her dress and into her pajamas. She returned for some tea. She knew Freddie was itching to know how the dance had went. 

“How was it, darling?” Freddie asked from his spot on the couch. He was enjoying a glass of wine. John was awake but looked like he was dying to get into bed. 

“Besides almost getting hit by a tornado, it went well,” Melody answered. She made herself comfortable on the opposite end of the couch with her arms wrapped around her knees.

“I don’t see any love marks on your neck, dear,” Freddie said as he sipped his wine. 

“Freddie,” John warned from beside him. 

“I can’t say the same for Romeo,” Melody responded. “He disappeared the moment he set foot in the door. I’d rather not know.” The room fell silent. She found herself staring off again lost in her thoughts. 

“What’s on your mind?” Freddie pressed her. 

Melody sipped her tea. “I…um…danced with Leo. He didn’t have anyone to dance with the whole night.” 

“Why didn’t he tell us?” Freddie said, looking offended. 

“He did, love. He told us when we went to the beach,” John chimed in. 

“I bet you two looked adorable together. You were always attached to the hip growing up,” Freddie drank more wine. Melody’s gaze turned to the floor. 

“He’s not a bad dancer,” Melody admitted, blushing. 

“I bet he’s not a bad kisser either, dear,” Freddie blurted out. John glared at him. 

As the conversation fell, John pressured Freddie to finally go to bed after drinking enough to damage his liver. Melody was right behind them as she found she could barely keep her eyes open. Before she climbed the stares and making sure Freddie didn’t fall halfway up, John turned to her. 

“You did the right thing. Leo adores you. I’m sure he appreciated it,” John said. 

Melody nodded in agreement. She felt guilty out of loyalty to Tyler, but Tyler had been the one to suggest it. There was something everyone else was seeing that she couldn’t. As her head hit the pillow, the scene replayed in her head of her maternal actions in the car ride home. It finally dawned on her, that she wasn’t a mother to him anymore. It was becoming much more than that. She didn’t remember Leo’s doe eyes making her heart flutter years ago. Then there was his confession to her over spring break. Melody wished it wasn’t a big problem that she was starting to return the feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody has an interesting morning after prom night. Tyler has something to say.

The next morning, Melody borrowed Freddie’s piano to practice on her school project. The following week, her music class was going to focus on actual rehearsals, so everything had to fall into place. Melody felt a bit down because she knew her parents wouldn’t be able to attend. Even worse, she would have to face Tyler all that week along with her emotional turmoil. She kept thinking about Leo and the dance they shared. They had been inches away from kissing and the only thing she could focus on was the guilt she felt.  


After her final practice, she turned around to see Leo standing in the doorway. Melody almost fell out of her chair. 

“How long have you been standing there?” she asked, flustered. 

“About five minutes,” Leo responded. His voice was low like it was the first time he used it that morning. God, it didn’t make things any easier for Melody. “My father won’t leave me alone until you come down for breakfast.” 

Melody moved from her spot to follow her friend downstairs. She couldn’t get over how sleepy he still looked with his messy hair and still being in pajamas. It was going to be a lazy Saturday. Leo must have woken up not long before that, because she could still feel the sleep warmth radiating off him. The thought of it was adorable.  


Breakfast was surprisingly quiet. Quinn hadn’t woken up yet and Melody knew she would be dying to know the details from the night before. If she found out Melody danced with Leo, Melody wouldn’t hear the end of it. Leona’s hair was still braided from the night before and if Melody had to be honest, she had been too tired to wash away any left-over makeup. Melody was lost in thoughts about how lovely she must look in that moment with eyeliner still smudged under her lashes. Romeo was the next one to wake up, and as Melody predicted he had a love mark under on the side of his neck. 

“You could have at least covered that up,” Melody commented, feeling grumpy. 

“Oh, this?” Romeo said, touching his neck. “You must be jealous, dear.” 

“I think you need to stop getting love advice from Freddie, darling,” Melody scoffed. “I wouldn’t let papa see that. He might go into preterm labor.” 

“I see marks on his neck all the time,” Romeo complained as he stabbed his fork into scrambled eggs. 

Melody set her silverware down, suddenly losing her appetite. “I could have gone without that mental image.” Romeo snickered as she got up to put her plate away. She felt the need for a shower before she could deal with anyone else’s nonsense. 

“You should see the marks I leave on John,” Freddie came in still in a silk robe and holding a cigarette. Leo groaned and Leona put her head on the table. It was too early to be awake.  
…  
Melody turned off the shower and slid the glass door open to grab a towel. The hot water had improved her mood and gave her a few minutes of clear thoughts. As she dried her hair, the bathroom door started to open. Thinking it was Quinn coming to bother her about prom, she didn’t give a second thought to covering up fully. However, she almost lost her balance and fell when she saw Leo in the doorway. 

“Oh god.” 

“Fucking knock next time!” 

Melody felt herself nearly go into a panic attack as the door shut as quickly as it opened. Of all the dozens of bathrooms in the house, the boy had to choose the one she was in. Jesus fucking Christ. She stood there in full shock with water still dripping off her body as she processed what just happened. She panicked wondering exactly how much Leo had seen. Melody was ready to go back to bed and start again the next day. She felt nauseas as she realized she wasn’t exactly flat chested, and that area of her body wouldn’t have been hard to miss. She wanted to stay in the bathroom for the rest of eternity. 

However, she had to come out eventually and went to her room to brush out her hair. If she didn’t do it now, her locks would be a tangled mess for the rest of the day. She heard a knock on her door and of course it was Leo. She assumed he came to apologize, but she did not expect herself to go into a fit of giggles. His whole face was pink, and the poor thing looked mortified. 

“I’m so sorry, Mels,” he began. “I thought you used Quinn’s bathroom.” He gave her a puzzled look as she dissolved into laughter. 

“We are not mentioning that to anyone,” Melody said when she regained control of herself. To her dismay, Romeo walked into the scene of a giddy Melody and embarrassed Leo. 

“I knew it, you two are screwing each other,” Romeo stood behind Leo. He instantly regretted it when his sister’s hairbrush went flying too close to his head. 

After an eventful morning and a million questions from Quinn, Melody found herself settled in Romeo’s room because he insisted on digging up some old home videos Freddie kept when they were kids. A few of them were birthday parties, some were just random moments of the family being together. Then Romeo popped one in the VHS player that was untitled. At first there was nothing but static and they assumed it was a ruined tape. Then it turned interesting when they saw their parents alone. Roger sporting the famous Rogerina outfit. 

“This must be the outtakes from the Break Free video,” Romeo thought out loud. He looked interested in it for a few moments, but Melody couldn’t help to think the whole thing seemed odd. Brian appeared on screen only wearing pants. Then it dawned on Melody. 

“Romeo turn it off!” she yelled, shielding her eyes. 

Brian’s unashamed voice came from the video. “Let me ruin your makeup baby.” 

Afterward, Romeo had a few choice words he wanted to tell his parents. Melody had to listen to an hour-long rant from her brother about their parents leaving a tape…. like that…. just laying around. And why was it left at Freddie and John’s house? Melody was starting to lose hope in the entire family. 

Melody found herself outside to avoid anymore chaos. The morning had been rainy, but the weather took a break. The clouds were still out making the temperature pleasant. She had just gotten off the phone with her papa. Roger didn’t know how he could be so patient with his daughter’s endless questions about his wellbeing. However, it left him with a warm feeling after and Melody deserved the softer side of him. She always brought it out in him. Melody had felt her anxiety bubble up as she thought about her papa expecting. She couldn’t help it. 

Melody found herself sitting on Freddie’s patio swing to enjoy the quiet. She was so tense she jumped when the door opened, and Leo walked out to join her. 

“At least you are dressed this time,” Leo said as he joined her. 

“So, you want me to undress?” Melody quipped. Leo turned his head to the side to hide the blush forming on his cheeks. She regretted snapping, however her anxious state didn’t help her in the situation. “Well, that wasn’t a no.” 

“Mels,” Leo started. “I thought you said we wouldn’t talk about it.” 

“I said we wouldn’t mention it to anyone.” 

Melody’s tension didn’t get any better with the awkward conversation between them. Leo was observant thought and instantly picked up something was wrong. 

“Seriously though, are you okay?” Leo asked. His voice held a genuine tone in it like it always had when he was concerned about her. 

“My shoulders hurt. I suppose it’s from worry and having my final presentation next week. I practiced all morning,” Melody admitted. 

“Do you want me to fix it?” 

Melody’s mind went in the wrong direction. She blamed Romeo’s antics for causing her to think there were “other ways” of relieving stress.

“Wait, what?” she asked, looking skeptical. 

“Err…a massage,” Leo mumbled. His shy nature started to show, and it put Melody’s mind at ease. Leo and Romeo were opposite people.

Melody had no idea how she ended up in her best friend’s lap, but his warm soothing hands made up for it. She was pressed against his chest, melting from him rubbing soothing motions up and down her neck. If Freddie or Romeo had come outside and saw them, she would have died. When he started on her shoulders, she had a few tender spots. One made her cry out in pain and he immediately stopped. It took Melody five minutes to convince him to continue. 

She covered his hand with hers. “I’m fine, Leo. It takes a lot more than that to break bones!” 

Leo’s hands continued to perfectly rub into her spine and Melody was gone. If Romeo had come outside, she couldn’t have cared less. She had time to kill him later. The only word she could think about in the moment was tender. Leo was gentle with her and his body heat put her in heaven. She found out she wouldn’t mind him touching her more often. Exactly where and how, was for another time. For the moment, she was content, and all her anxiety had gone the moment Leo started holding her. 

“It really wasn’t a no,” Leo jolted her out of her thoughts. She slapped his shoulder, but honestly, she was too tired to complain.  
…  
The next time Melody saw Tyler after school, her thoughts of Leo remained in the back of her mind. They just weren’t as persistent. Tyler had mentioned they wouldn’t be rehearsing that day because he wanted to talk with her. Melody’s anxiety shot up the moment she heard he had something to discuss. What if he had seen her almost kiss Leo at prom? Had he figured out she had a certain chemistry with Leo that he couldn’t have with her?

“Tyler,” Melody greeted him with a peck on the lips and a small hug. The affection made him smile, but there was an undertone to it she couldn’t place. 

Tyler grabbed both her hands in his, squeezing tightly. “I had a talk with my parents.” 

Melody’s eyebrows furrowed when he mentioned his parents. If he had spoken to them about hers being two men, there would absolutely be an issue. 

“About what?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. She was frowning. 

“My dad got a better job in another state,” Tyler continued “There’s no easy way around this Mels.” 

“What are you getting at?” Melody pressed him. 

“I’ll be going with them.” 

“Oh,” Melody released his hands. “What about our project?”

“I’ll still be here for that, but after graduation I’ll be moving,” Tyler scratched his head nervously. 

Melody blinked, unsure of what she was hearing. “After graduation,” she repeated. “That’s a few weeks away. I still don’t know what- “

Tyler swallowed. “I think we need to break things off for now, Mels. It’s better to do it now than to wait.” 

“Was it me?” Melody asked, her voice raising. 

“No, no, it was great,” Tyler smiled sadly. 

Melody blinked and attempted to collect her thoughts. “Okay, well. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow for a rehearsal?”

“Yea,” Tyler responded, looking at the ground. He felt guilty but Melody looked like she wanted to home instead of talk further. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He attempted to hug her, but she backed away. Melody hurried to where Leo and Leona’s car. She was in disbelief of what happened. It stung, but she thought things were going so well. 

Melody felt like it took forever to reach the car. She had to lean over the hood to stabilize herself and keep her tears away. The twins hadn’t showed up yet. She shut her eyes tightly to avoid crying. However, her hands were still shaking. 

“Melody,” Leo’s voice came from behind her. She jumped and nearly fell backwards. Leo caught her arm. He raised his eyebrow, unsure of what was going on with his friend. “Mels,” he repeated softer. Melody clutched her chest as the pain bubbled up. Leo was there though, and it gave her a sense of security. She turned around and hugged him so hard it knocked him back a few steps.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melody deals with the aftermath of her first break up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to be longer but I wanted it to end on a cliffhanger to give me more incentive to wrap this story up. I took a few months off from writing to clear my head. I'm happy to finally update again. I hope you all enjoy this one.

With Melody having her music final within a few days, she locked herself in Freddie’s music room to make sure every note was absolutely perfect. Freddie had enough of the door being locked and out of concern for Melody’s wellbeing, he banned her from using his piano until further notice. 

“You’re going to wear out your vocal cords, dear,” Freddie told her as she glared at him. She had been in a mood ever since she came home from school a few days ago. Even Romeo didn’t dare bother her. The truth was, she was doing anything she could to distract her thoughts from Tyler. Then she considered whatever it was stirring inside her with Leo and it all became too much. Things were moving too fast. 

“I just won’t go to the performance. You can’t go to it anyways,” she scoffed, and she walked to her room, shutting the door behind her.

John had been heading upstairs and heard the door slam. He looked at Freddie, confused.

“Fucking teenagers,” Freddie clicked his tongue. “We should have stuck with the cats.”  
….  
When Roger and Brian finally came over, they found out about Melody being banned from the music room and her behavior. Neither one was surprised, because Quinn made it her business to know everything and had told them when she was asked what happened. 

“I think it’s about you know who,” Brian crossed his arms. Roger furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep because of cravings and other inconvenient things that happened with pregnancy. Long story short, he had no idea who Brian was talking about. 

“Tyler,” John chimed in. 

“What happened?” Roger asked. John and Brian exchanged looks, both hesitant to tell him. John preferred his house to remain standing. 

“They broke up,” Brian said. “I heard Tyler is moving out of town.”

“I didn’t like the bastard anyway,” Roger huffed. 

“Roger!” 

“I guess the flowers weren’t enough,” John put his two cents in, smirk included. 

“I’d like to shove those flowers right up your--“ 

Brian cleared his throat. The bickering was already starting to make his head hurt. “I guess I’ll get dinner started.”  
….  
Melody had been dragged out of her room by Leona and Quinn and was forced to be in the same room with other people. She settled at the corner of the bed reading a book and tried to tune out the nonsense between Romeo and Leo as they played video games. Something must have happened because Leo was cursing, and Romeo started cheering. Whatever they were playing, Romeo had won. Leo responded by flipping him off. 

“When, where, and how hard?” Romeo quipped, setting the controller down. 

“No thanks,” Leo rejected him. “I might get syphilis.” Melody finally slammed her book down on the bed, unable to concentrate. “Sorry, Mels,” his expression softened. 

“Whatever, I’m eating the rest of your candy,” Melody grabbed the box of Skittles laying on the bed. She poured a handful of candy and popped them in her mouth. 

“If you eat enough candy Mels, maybe it will sweeten you up,” Romeo turned around and nodded his head towards Leo with a wink. Leo blushed furiously, however Melody threw a Skittle at her brother. It hit him perfectly on the top of his head and bounced off. 

The three of them resumed sitting in silence except for the occasional outbursts from Romeo when Leo beat him in their video game. At that point, Melody had put in her headphones and turned the volume all the way up. Her Dido CD worked wonders blocking out the noise as she laid back against the pillows behind her. 

Melody woke up confused, not recognizing the room she was in as her own. There were two other distinct snores in the room. Her headphones had been taken off and set beside her at one point. She turned over, remembering Leo and Romeo playing video games. She had fallen asleep and neither of the boys had felt like feeling the wrath of a sleepy Melody. Melody let out a sigh and turned over. She didn’t want to chance tripping over one of them in the dark. They had left her the bed and slept on the floor. 

Or at least she thought they did. Melody turned over on her side to find a more comfortable position and was met with legs. Her arm had somehow found Leo’s warm thigh. She knew as much as Romeo flirted, Leo would sleep in the cat beds before sharing a space with her brother. Melody could have turned back the opposite direction, but she found Leo’s warm thigh comfortable. It wasn’t unusual for the children of Queen to be found in weird sleeping positions after a night of fun. Melody rested her head on Leo’s soft, thigh. If he had been sitting up, she would be asleep in his lap. Her heavy eyes finally shut as Leo’s scent and presence lulled her back to sleep.  
….  
Leo woke up with his arm dead underneath him. He turned over on his back to get the blood flow to return. He was unaware Melody was already awake and reading while it was still quiet. She had the nightstand lamp turned on. Its gentle light was enough for her to read and not wake the others up. 

“Mels,” Leo said, his voice came out low and sleepy. It caught Melody’s attention and she looked up him. Her ponytail was messy, and yesterday’s eyeliner was a bit smeared under her eyes. She resembled Brian when he was alone downstairs already drinking coffee. They were both known to have unusual sleeping schedules. Leo took the image of her in for a moment. Her hair was still freshly dyed black, and the lighting of the room made her eyes appear stunning. It was like she could see right through him. 

“Bathroom?” she asked and received a nod. It wasn’t until Leo stood up after she moved that he noticed the coffee mug on the dresser. It was very…. Brianesque. When Leo returned, he found her sitting close to the wall with her book still in her lap. She had draped the blanket over her shoulders. Her tank top caused her to be prone to the cold, but it was comfortable to sleep in. 

“I haven’t seen you use the piano in a few days,” Leo pointed out. He sat at the edge of the bed. 

“I was banned from the music room, remember?” Melody closed her book. She wrapped her arms around her knees. “It’s not that it matters rather or not I wear my voice out, my parents won’t be there anyways.” Leo’s expression dropped. He hated how disappointed and sad she sounded.

“I’m sure if they could make it there, they would,” Leo reassured her. She shrugged in response. “We can hear you all through the house singing, we all know you’ll blow everyone away.” 

“I don’t know how I’m going to do it,” Melody confessed, playing with her fingers. “I didn’t expect to date my project partner.” 

Leo looked at the opposite corner of the room. The topic still hit a sore spot, but he had learned to accept it and things had became easier. 

“Just pretend he’s not there,” he suggested. “Or pretend it’s me on stage with you.” 

Melody stopped her hand movements. She didn’t dare admit the many times she wished Tyler had been him. “I’ll figure it out,” was all she said.  
…  
The week of finals was hectic enough and on top of it Melody had to practice the end product with her…. ex-boyfriend. The rehearsals in front of the class proved to be awkward and she knew the others could see the tension between them. Melody tried hard to focus on pressing the piano keys she basically had committed to muscle memory by now. When they were done, she wordlessly returned to her seat without making eye contact. Tyler had tried to touch her arm several times to get her attention, but she would move away and pretend he didn’t exist. It felt harsh, but it was her way of dealing with it. 

When the school day finally ended, Melody found herself halfway to Leo’s car before remembering she left her book in the music room. She swore she had put it in her purse, but it wasn’t in there when she looked. She distracted herself a lot with her books. Brian swore she had already outdone him with the number she had read within three days. Melody made it back to the classroom, grateful that it was empty. She checked her seat to make sure it hadn’t fallen out during class. When she found nothing, she looked up to see Tyler holding it. 

Shit. 

“I was going to bring it to you, I swear,” Tyler said quickly. 

“Well thanks, but I need it back. My ride is waiting for me,” Melody reached for it, only for Tyler to pull his arm away. The book went out of her reach. 

“I think we need to talk,” Tyler told her. His eyes looked stern, but his expression was hurt. 

“I think you need to give me my book so I can get the hell home!” Melody replied heatedly. 

“You can have it after you hear me out,” Tyler tried to compromise. He was expecting her to lash out at him, but only received a defeated look from the girl in front of him. Melody was usually fiery, but he knew he was the cause of her hurt. It didn’t make the situation any easier. “I just want to apologize.” Melody looked up at him, with a glimmer of hope. “I didn’t want to string you along for a few more weeks before leaving like other people do. I thought the sooner we broke up, the less it would hurt.” Melody’s eyebrows furrowed, like she was about to get angry with him. “But I was wrong,” he continued. “You’re not the only one hurting Mels.” 

A thought hit Melody when her eyes found the rubber band still around Tyler’s wrist. 

“You haven’t thought about--?” Melody tried to ask. 

“No,” Tyler said firmly and somehow, she knew he was telling the truth. He had been doing well in therapy and the rubber band had stayed because he was so used to needing it. “I just wanted you to know the heartbreak is going both ways and I don’t want you to think I never cared about you.” 

“Oh,” was all Melody could say. She hadn’t been expecting this at all. 

Tyler cleared his throat. “Anyways, here’s your book. I’m sure your ride is still waiting for you.” He handed her the book and for a moment their hands brushed against each other. Melody looked at Tyler with her enchanting eyes and they both smiled sadly at each other. She didn’t know at what point Tyler had stepped closer to her. He had missed her an awful lot. They had been so used to each other’s touches and kisses; it had become a routine. It was also one hell of a routine they both had to break. 

“Just one more?” Melody thought out loud and her cheeks blushed pink. Tyler couldn’t reject the idea, so he leaned in and gave her a soft peck on her lips. However, it wasn’t enough to satisfy Melody’s need for contact. She met his lips again, this time fiercer and more desperate. Then she remembered Leo and Leona were still waiting on her. 

Shit. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow. You be careful going home,” Tyler said hesitantly, before she clutched her book to her chest, nodded, and walked away. 

Melody was unaware Leo had gone looking for her and had seen the whole thing unfold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll see Leo's perspective on what happened. Also we'll finally get to the concert part. I have no idea if it will be the last chapter before the epilogue because there's an elephant in the room that needs to be wrapped up. (Meleo)


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things finally resolve for Leo and Melody.

Leo sat on his bed while chewing on the end of his ink pen. He had a paper to write, but so far, he couldn’t find the words. He had been reserved all evening which was out of character for him. Leo had a quiet personality except when he was with Melody and she was the last person he wanted to speak to. The past year had been troubling with his newfound love for her…yes love…and he was the unfortunate soul to walk in on her kissing the person who shattered her not too long ago. 

He didn’t have the heart to be angry at her. It was just one of life’s cruel curveballs being thrown at him. They had danced at prom and came so close to kissing. He felt like she was teasing him. Melody wouldn’t do that though. She was too kindhearted. He had thought it over many times and concluded she was blissfully unaware of his feelings towards her. That was a lie, because he had told her the truth weeks ago. She apologized but never said a word if she felt the same way or not. She couldn’t have if Tyler was in the picture. If she felt anything, she would have let him know by words or actions. Either she didn’t return his feelings, or he was blind to her small hints.

The car ride home had been painfully awkward. Leo was a bit late getting to his car. Melody was there before him having a conversation with Leona. It took all he had to muster a greeting to them. Melody had no idea of what he saw. She seemed more like herself which was great considering the passed few months. Leona insisted Melody take the passenger’s seat, earning a sad glare from Leo. His sister could tell miles away that he liked her. 

“You better take her before I do,” Leona had smirked one day. Leo almost fainted hearing it from his own sister. Melody was one of a kind. 

Melody attempted to chat with Leo until she noticed he wasn’t in the mood. She thought of every possible excuse to determine why he didn’t want to talk and none of them involved her. Leo huffed at the thought.   
…   
Much to John’s dismay, Freddie once again caved in and brought Roger the sweets he had been craving. 

“John, darling, you’re acting like this is your child,” Freddie teased as a happy Roger dug into his fruit tart cheesecake. 

“It might as well be,” John looked at the dessert disapprovingly. “All he has to do is bat his eyelashes, and you and Brian become weak.” 

“Deaky you have to try this,” Roger suggested. He stabbed his fork into a strawberry and offered it to John who only glared. Moments later, John took the strawberry and was blown away about how delicious it was. He couldn’t turn anything away from Roger and he was just talking about the drummer being Freddie and Brian’s weakness. 

“I think I’ll have a piece,” John decided. 

“A piece of me or the cheesecake?” Roger asked which caused Freddie to double over in laughter. John pinched the bridge of his nose. They had both been doing their best to annoy him today. The two idiots had succeeded. Brian was away for a few hours doing some maintenance to his Red Special. The band was on hiatus, however they still had to care for their equipment.

Freddie ruffled Roger’s hair. “Good one, Blondie,” he complimented affectionately. “I sometimes wonder if you should have married John instead.” 

“Oh no, I would have killed him!” John objected but his smile broke through when Roger almost spit out his food. It served him right. Freddie chuckled, shaking his head and then preoccupied himself when one of the many cats walked into the room. 

“I feel extremely guilty we can’t see Melody perform this weekend,” Roger said after calming down. He got up and cut two pieces of cheesecake. One for John and another one for himself. John quit attempting to stop his friend from overloading with sweets. He would have commented but was more interested in the situation with Melody instead. 

“She has been a bit down about it,” John said. “Freddie mentioned a way we can, but I don’t know if you will like it.” Roger set his fork down. He either felt sick from the amount of sugar he ate, or he was thinking. To John’s disappointment, Roger took another bite along with another. 

“What did he say?”   
….  
The house fell silent and it was the time Melody dreaded being alone with her thoughts. She exhausted herself from studying and practice tests. Now, her mind wouldn’t shut off. She felt the familiar prickly sensation build in her chest. Her first instinct was to run to the room her parents were sleeping in. However, with Roger’s new condition she didn’t want him to stress and she was sure Brian was already worrying himself to death. 

When her hands starting shaking, she decided she had enough. Roger had been talking about a dessert Freddie had bought earlier that she must try. She was too tired though and decided to attempt to go to bed. Her anxiety attacks loved to disturb her at night. Lately she would find herself going off a few hours of sleep if she was lucky. She got out of bed and wondered down the hallway. What confused her was a light from an open door. 

Of all the bedrooms in the house, it was Leo’s. Melody poked her head in the doorway to see if he was still awake. Leo avoided her most of the day and she knew from the car ride home he was troubled. They shared a few classes together, so she was curious rather or not he had started studying yet. Leo’s eyes remained on the road, only replying with brief nods here and there. Eventually, Melody gave up trying to make conversation. However, now his door was open, and she had him cornered. 

“Mels?” he lifted his head up from his textbook. His brows raised in curiosity. The girl looked pale and her blue eyes sparkled with wetness. His first gut instinct was she was having another attack. He immediately set his book down and stood up. 

“I can’t sleep. I didn’t want to bother any of the adults, so I was headed to make some tea,” Melody spoke softly. 

Leo frowned. “You wouldn’t be bothering anyone. I wouldn’t go to my parent’s room though,” he winced. Melody sadly knew the feeling all too well about walking in on a situation that would give her nightmares. 

“You were studying though, so I don’t want to interrupt,” Melody apologized. Leo felt his heart sink. 

“I have all week to study,” Leo responded. “You look like if someone knocked you over, you would break. Come here.” He opened his arms for a hug and Melody walked into it. Her arms wrapped around his neck and the scent of his soap filled her nose. His warm embrace felt like home. Leo rubbed up and down her spine just the way she liked. 

“Tyler kissed me today,” she mumbled into his ear. Leo’s motions stopped and for a second she thought she had made him angry. Then he began rubbing her shoulder blades and she felt like she was in heaven. “I can’t let that happen again, he’s moving, and I wanted to detach myself from him while I could.” 

Leo brushed Melody’s hair behind her ear. “Kiss me, then,” he whispered. Melody looked up and swore she felt the hairs on the back on her neck and arms stand up. There was no guilt about the effects he had on her now, for obvious reasons. 

Melody looked up at him, intrigued. She jumped when Leo brought his hand to her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb. The tension melted away from her body as fast as it had come. Her eyes met his warm brown ones, the same dark color as Freddie’s, and for a second she felt her body temperature rise. All of it felt good though…and right when his lips finally found hers. He tasted of toothpaste and salt. 

The kiss deepened quickly, and she chased it as soon as he pulled away. There was a sudden need for her childhood best friend she knew was there the whole time, but she was now finally acknowledging it. Melody held nothing back. 

“Mels,” he mumbled into her lips as she pushed him closer to the bed. Leo lost his footing and fell backwards, bring her with him. She fell on top of his chest, giggling herself silly. Leo pushed her forehead against his and closed his eyes. He wanted to savor the moment for as long as possible because he didn’t know what the future would bring. 

“I need to get up before someone sees us,” she whispered, feeling like they were doing something dirty. If Roger would have walked by, he would have personally set Leo on fire. 

Leo growled in response. “You can stay. I’ll shut the door.” He rolled up with Melody in his arms, so she was positioned under her. She raised her eyebrow at him but found herself breathless and a little aroused at his sudden actions. 

“If Romeo walks by, he’ll have a field day,” Melody responded, gently pushing Leo off her. She stifled a laugh when she saw him pout. 

“What happened just now, please tell me it’s not the last time,” Leo pleaded when Melody sat up. Melody smiled and kissed him again, freely. It felt so good to finally be able to do it. 

“I promise, it won’t be,” Melody assured him. “I have to get back to bed. Be sure to dream about me.” She walked to the doorway and waved goodnight. Leo was left sitting on his bed smiling like an idiot. Melody was sure if she had another excuse to come to his room, she would find it. However, her eyes were heavy, and her lower back had a dull ache.

Melody made it halfway back to her room before she saw Romeo. Normally it would startle her and cause her to give him a few choice words, but tonight nothing seemed to bother her anymore. 

Romeo looked at her suspiciously. “What the hell has you smiling like that?”

“Nothing important,” she responded, and quickly entered her room and shut the door. For the first time in months, she truly believed everything was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise next chapter will be the concert and hopefully after that will be the epilogue.


End file.
